Pigtails
by Real.Smile
Summary: Because we all know that pulling on a girl's pigtail is the best way to her heart. A ten-shot about Fred and Carleen, a girl whose pigtail he can't seem to keep his hands off. Entry in New-tsubaki's Because of Love Challenge.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **So this is going to be a nine-shot. One chapter with a few different moments from the nine years that the two main characters have known each other. But anyways, this is a Fred/OC story for **Mew-tsubaki's **Because of Love Challenge. I love Fred/OC, if you don't then click away. So yeah, done rambling, so you can read now. And Happy New Year.

**DISCLAIMER: ** I don't own Harry Potter, just my OC.

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><p><em>Because we all know that pulling on a girl's pigtail is the best way to her heart.<em>

**Year One  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"Fred, George," Mrs. Weasley shouted at them as the boarded the train. "Behave!"

The two red-haired boys snickered as they waved their mother off. They made no promises to behave, and quite frankly, that soothed their mother more than if they had. At least now, she knew that when she got a letter from Albus Dumbledore, the boys hadn't gone against their word. She sighed as she watched the train carrying off her twin boys, Percy, and Charlie - who would be graduating at the end of the year. They'd taken the first step to growing up. They had been accepted into Hogwarts, and now they were leaving. Oh well, at least she had Ronald and Ginny.

The boys pushed down the aisle until they found an almost empty compartment. Inside sat one girl and her brown cat curled on her lap. She was biting on her lip and starting out the window as the train began to gain speed. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap. Her ankles were crossed. And most importantly to Fred Weasley, her brown hair was in pigtails. That set something off inside of Fred. He couldn't tell anyone what it was, but every time he saw a girl with pigtails, his heart rate sped up, and his palms got sweaty. He could feel heat climbing up his neck and to his ears. His legs turned to jelly, and he just had the undying desire to pull them.

And that's exactly what he did to the innocent girl sitting in the compartment. He walked in and pulled her pigtail.

The girl let loose a yelp and her hand flew to the pulled hair. "What is wrong with you?" she barked, the words rolling out of her pink lips.

He held his sweaty hand out to her, "I'm Fred," he introduced, and then pointed over his shoulder, "and this is my twin brother, George."

The girl looked at the one called Fred for a moment before shaking his hand, "My name's Carleen."

"Carly," the twins said together as they took the seat opposite Carleen.

"What?" she asked nursing her injured pigtail.

"We're going to call you Carly," the one called George said.

"Okay," she said slowly. "Why did you pull my pigtail?" she questioned to Fred. She'd always remember him, as the boy that walked into her compartment and pulled her pigtail. She'd never forget his face.

"Sorry, it just kind of happens," he said rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I just have the urge."

"Well, get rid of the urge."

George snickered and pointed his wand at the girl's hair. "Would you rather it be blue?" he asked her. Fred joined in on his brother's laughter.

"What?" she asked indignantly, Clearly not seeing what was so funny about him asking if she would like her hair to be blue. It was a stupid question.

Feeling bad for the girl, Fred took a mirror and showed it to her. Her scream was the best part. George leapt over to cover her mouth, so not to draw the attention of the older students. He sat with his hand covering her mouth for a moment to ensure that no one was coming into the compartment and then released her mouth.

"Biting is not nice," George scolded.

"CHANGE IT BACK!" Carleen demanded.

"Alright, alright, hold still," George said. He flicked his wand and her hair slowly started to turn back to its chocolate brown color. "It should be normal by the sorting ceremony."

She screamed again, this time out of pure annoyance. And the boys simply laughed at her.

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

"Carly, you're in Gryffindor!" the twins shouted at the brunette sitting at the end of the table alone.

"That's a surprise," Fred said, pulling her pigtail again, although much gentler this time.

"You're more like a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff," George commented, sitting on the left side while George took her right.

"I'm sorry?" she said, her left eyebrow arched. "I really have now clue what you or that hat are talking about."

"You're muggleborn," Fred pointed out, stealing a piece of her roll from her plate. "Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin are all houses at Hogwarts. Slytherin is where all the dark wizards go, Ravenclaw is for the intellectuals, Hufflepuff is for the kind, and Gryffindor - the best house and your house - is for the brave."

"Find someone else to harass?" a tall red-haired boy asked from behind the three.

"Don't worry Charlie," George said, also stealing a bit of her roll. "She's Carly, the girl we met on the train."

"The one whose hair you turned blue?" Charlie asked.

"The very same," Carleen responded. "STOP THAT!" she shouted at the twin stealing her roll.

"There's no getting rid of them now," Charlie told her, they're eating your food. But if you guys are ready, we're heading up to the dorm. You can go with me or Percy." Te twins made a face. "That's what I thought," Charlie said with a chuckle. "Let's go."

The twin stood and walked off behind Charlie, leaving Carleen alone. Fred turned back to her and smirked. "Come on, Carly."

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"Quidditch?" Carleen questioned as she was pulled down the corridors and stairs of Hogwarts. "What's Quidditch?"

"Only the best wizarding sport in the world," Fred said enthusiastically. George had all ready gone to the Pitch to get seats for them. They'd been leaving when he say Carleen sitting on the sofa in front of the empty fireplace reading. Her hair was in pigtails again. He sighed and resisted the urge to pull them, because when he did, she'd got upset. He simply held his hand out to her hand closed her book with the other one. Knowing that any attempt to ignore Fred Weasley would be in vain, she stood and dropped her book on the sofa and walked out of the Common Room with him.

"What is it though?" she asked again.

"I keep forgetting that you haven't been exposed to magic," he said. He rubbed his neck and tried to think. "Dad says that it's like Muggle Football and a little bit of Rugby." Fred stopped and pulled his wand from his pocket. He pointed at the wall across from them, and a small image of a Quidditch Pitch appeared. "Okay so there are 7 players - 3 chasers to score with the quaffle, 2 beaters who are equipped with two bats to hit the bludgers away from their teammates , 1 keeper to protect the hoops , and 1 seeker to catch the golden snitch. So the quaffle is the red ball that the Chasers chase,and they try and score through one of the three hoops that the keeper guards. Each goal is worth ten points. Then the beaters fly around at hit the bludgers to protect their teammates, mainly the seeker, from the bludgers by knocking these balls off course or towards opponents. The seeker catches the snitch. It's impossibly fast and damn near impossible to see." The whole time he'd been talking, he'd been drawing a diagram on the wall with the tip of his wand. "That help?"

"What are the rules?" Carleen asked.

"You'll learn when you watch. It's really a easy game to follow," he promised. He muttered a spell and the drawing disappeared. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her down the corridor again. "I think you'll like it."

"And if I don't?"she questioned as they exited the castle. "What then?"

"Then in two years, I'll take you on a date in Hogsmeade for your trouble. "

"Well, that sounds like a win-win for you, and a lose-lose for me."

Insulted, Fred reached over and pulled her pigtail. "Whatever, so do we have a deal or not?"

They were standing at the gates of the Pitch. "Yeah, we have a deal, and stop pulling my pigtail."

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE:<strong> Some chapters will have more than three moments in them, some might have less. I just wanted to get this up for the new year. So I just did the three that I already had typed. So anyway, keep that in mind. Review please, it makes me update faster.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Nothing much to say, but enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Harry Potter.

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><p><strong>Year Two<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

Her hair was in pigtails, when he spotted her in Diagon Alley. He'd been shopping for books and other school supplies when he spotted her. She was with her mother, who he'd met at the end of the term, and her father, who he'd met when they were coming back from Christmas vacation. He'd tossed the book to his older brother, Percy, and ran out of the store. He pushed through the crown and then slipped into the store that he saw her in. When he spotted her, he did what he did best, and pulled her pigtails.

"Hello, Fred," she said before turning around. She hugged him briefly and smiled. "How was your summer?" she questioned.

"How'd you know it what me?" he asked, pouting.

"You're the only person that pulls my pigtails," she stated.

"Well you're the only person that still wears pigtails," he told her. He pushed his hands into his pockets and sighed. "It was good, by the way," he told her. "Yours?"

"It was," she bit her lip, "not great. My 'Muggle' friends won't talk to me, since I'm a 'freak'." She shrugged. "Other than that, it was pretty good."

Fred shrugged. "You're not a freak," he said. "You're special."

Carleen rolled her eyes and brushed her brown hair from her eyes. "Thanks," she said, "I think."

We'll if you don't want to hang out with the 'non-freaks', you can come to our place next summer," Fred officered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "My house is always full of people over the summer."

"It must be large," Carleen commented.

Fred's blush climbed up his neck and to his ears. "It's not really, but Mum can't say no to visitors. Just write and I'll tell her you're coming." Feeling that it was entirely too hot to stay there, he ducked his head and then smiled. "I have to run, Percy will be looking for me. Can't worry him too much. See you on the train."

"Bye, Fred."

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

"Fred, what are you doing?" she asked as she lay in the Hospital Wing. Her eyes were closed, and she had her arms crossed across her body as if she were dead. Fred snickered in response. "Fred, what are you doing?" she asked again, still not opening her eyes. She didn't want to see, knowing Fred it would be something, well Fred-like. "Fred Weasley," she said again.

"Shush," he replied.

"You're the reason that I'm in here, and I want to know what you're doing," Carleen said again, opening her eyes.

The room was dark, only lit by the moon and the tip of Fred's wand, beside her. She could hear him moving around the room, pushing something. She scoffed and sat up quickly. Of course, she'd regretted it immediately. Everything began to spin, and she lay back down just as quickly as she'd sat up. She'd been walking towards the stairs, when Fred tackled her, knocking her down, and causing her to hit her head. She was dizzy after that, and there was blood dripping down the side of her forehead. While apologizing constantly, Fred walked her to the Hospital Wing, where she was now. After a moment of rest, she sat up slowly and looked about the room. "Fred," she said again. "What are you doing?"

"I brought you," he started before muttering a spell to light the room, "dinner."

Carleen smiled at the assortment of pasties and juices that Fred had brought to her. He wasn't smiling like he usually was. He was frowning. It didn't look right on him. It was all sorts of wrong. Seeing him frown made her frown. "What's wrong?" she questioned before grabbing a tart off the plate. "Thank you, by the way."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, shoving his hands into his pocket. "Percy wrote to Mum, and she sent a nasty howler. She was really upset. Of course, you were just part of it. Most of it had to do with the toilets that George and I have been blowing up since the start of term. "Then I felt bad. I mean I already felt bad because you were here, but Mum doubled it. So I brought you dinner, well desert. I didn't want to over work the house elves, this late."

Carleen smirked. "Well, it's okay. I know you didn't mean to, accidents happen. I'm sorry that you're mother wrote you a howler. Those seem like they are nasty." She plucked another tart off the plate and chewed on it. "It's really okay," she replied as she saw that his facial expression wasn't changing. "Really."

Fred looked down and then back up her the brunette in the hospital bed. "Thank you."

"It's nothing. You can eat too, if you'd like. You now that I don't like boysenberry, and there's a tart there with boysenberry in it. I also happen to know that boysenberry is one of your favorites," she commented. "Go ahead and eat it."

Fred smiled and grabbed the tart off the cart and sat down on her bed. "I really am sorry, and I'll never do it again."

"Yep, just like when you told me that you wouldn't pull my pigtails anymore," she recalled. "That's why you tackled me," she exclaimed flicking the icing off her slice of cake at him. She saw the tip of his turn red, and she knew he was right. Carleen sighed. "Here, go ahead." The brunette leaned forward and her pigtail was within Fred Wesley's grasp. "Go ahead, you get this one freebee, so I'd take it if I were you."

Fred smiled, and gave her pigtail a nice yank. However, he'd done it with the hand that he'd wiped the icing off with, causing icing to streak her dark hair. "Sorry about that."

Carleen scoffed and rolled her eyes, "That's what I get for giving you a freebee."

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"WE MADE THE TEAM!" the Weasley twins announced as they ran into the common room.

While George ran about high-fiving the occupants of the common room, Fred came and sat beside Carleen. He flicked the book that she was reading shut and tossed it on to the floor. Carleen scoffed and muttered a soft 'Accio'. Her book shot into her hand, and she opened it and continued to read, unfazed by the actions of Fred Weasley. She was used to it. Fred, in need of attention, yanked on her brown pigtail. Her eyes snapped up to him and she closed the book on her thumb.

"Yes, Fred?" she questioned sitting the book beside her.

"I made the team," he shouted excitedly. "George and I are the new Gryffindor beaters."

"Really?" she asked, equally as excited. "That's brilliant," she hugged him and then sat back on her spot on the sofa.

"You know what that means?" he questioned, pulling on her pigtail a little.

"That after two years I will have some peace and quiet?" she replied playfully. He pulled on her pigtail harder. "Ouch. Does it mean that I have to go to every game now?"

"Ding, Ding," he rang pulling her hair for every ding. Carleen pulled her head away from the boy that was abusing her style of choice and rubbed her scalp. "So the first game is November 16th, be there."

"Sir, yes, Sir," she saluted, before picked up her book. "Now, do you mind?"


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Part Three, enter Harry and his drama. (: And so we are all on the same page, the story goes in order by years. So the first chapter was first year, the second was second, this one is third, and so on and so forth. All parts are part of the same year, so all the stories in this chapter are from third year. Got it? (:

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Harry Potter.

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><p><strong>Year Three<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"Did you hear?" Fred asked as he walked into the compartment that Carleen was occupying. She looked up from her book, and sighed.

"Are you every just going to say 'hi' to me?" she asked as he entered the compartment and pulled on her pigtail. "I guess not. Did I hear what?"

Fred smiled and looked at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but was distracted. She looked different. Her clothes hugged her body in new places. Her shirt was tighter where it had been looser before. She'd changed. She was different, and that made him look at her pigtails differently. They used to stir something mischievous in him. But now, now they stirred something else. Her lips were moving, but he could hear the words that were being said. Had her lips always been that full and pink?

Carleen launched her book at him and hit his arm, squarely. "FREDERICK GIDEON WEASLEY!" she shouted. He turned his blue eyes to her. "Are you okay?'

A blush crawled up Fred's neck and to his ears, "Yeah, yeah, fine."

"So did I hear what?" she asked, leaning over to pick up her book.

"Uh, that Harry Potter is here," he said slowly watching her.

"Harry Potter?" Carleen asked, her brown eyes glowing. "I read about him. He defeated Volde-"

Fred leapt across the compartment and covered her mouth with his hand. "No!" he exclaimed his blue eyes growing large. "You NEVER say his name."

Carleen licked his hand so that he would remove it and sighed. "That's right, I forgot." While he was sitting beside her, he to advantage of his close proximity and pulled her pigtail. "You only get one a conversation," she growled at him.

"This is a different conversation," he said, flinching away from her growl. "You didn't come over this summer," he mentioned. His voice almost sounded hurt.

"I know, my parents were working me to death. They wanted to see my textbooks and school work. I had to explain everything to them. They bought me an owl though. So that way, we can keep in touch better. I've been borrowing Katie's one a week, to mail them. But I talked to them, and they said that if it's okay with your Mum I can come over for Christmas break."

"That would be cool," Fred said, a blush crawling up his neck again. "I'll write Mum when I get the chance."

"So how was your summer?" she asked, ignoring the blush on Fred's ears.

* * *

><p><strong>II. <strong>

"HE'S ON THE QUIDDITH TEAM!"

Fred Weasley shook the sleeping Carleen until her head hurt. She'd fallen asleep reading for Potions, and the next thing she knew Fred Weasley was shaking her, and of course pulling her pigtails. She reached up and swatted his hands away from her hair and shoulders, as she attempted to sit up. The room was spinning thanks to Fred. He was great, she'd need to thank him for making her dizzy. She closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten to see if that helped the spinning. In a way, it did. At least now she could open her mouth without fear of vomiting.

"Who, Fred?"

"HARRY BLODDY POTTER, of course. He's the youngest Seeker Hogwarts has had in a century," Fred exclaimed shaking her again. Carleen swatted him. "Sorry."

"I'm sure it's wonderful," Carleen said.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Harry Potter walked into the Common Room followed by his two new friends. Finally, ceasing his shaking of his female friend, Fred waved Harry over. "Harry, this is Carleen," Fred introduced. "She's going to be your biggest fan." Carleen shot him a glare, but Fred continued. "She's gonna wear 'Potter' shirts and paint a scar on her forehead. Aren't you?" he asked, pulling her pigtail.

"What? No," she said. "It's nice to meet you, Harry. Sorry but I won't be doing any of that."

"It's no problem, really. I'm not sure that I would like that very much," Harry replied. "This is Ron, he's Fred' brother, and Hermione Granger."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Carleen replied. "You didn't tell me you had another brother."

Fred's ears turned red. 'Yeah, I have a sister too. She'll be here next year."

"Really?"

"Really."

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"Hey!" Fred shouted as he ran through the fresh December snow after the brunette third year. The girl in pigtails stopped and waved good-bye the people that she'd been walking with and waited with her hands in her pockets for Fred to catch up with her. "Hey," he said again when he was closer to her.

"Hi," Carleen replied, dodging a grab at her pigtails. "Can I help you?" she asked, swatting his hand.

"Yeah, you ready for our date?" he asked her, finally getting a proper grab at her pigtail.

"What?" she asked, her face flushing.

"From first year, the Quidditch match. After the match, you said you hated it."

Carleen scrunched her nose and blinked. "I love Quidditch, except when you're playing. You're going to get hurt flinging you're little bat around and stuff and hitting bludgers. You need to be carefuller." Her checks turned red. Neither of them could tell if it was from the cold or her embarrassment.

After a moment of absorbing her statement, he shrugged and waved his hand before him, a gesture for them to continue along the path so that she didn't get a cold. "But, when we left the match first year you said that it was vile and barbaric."

"Oh," Carleen muttered under her breath, remembering that she had indeed said that. "Well, I guess so. We can just go to the Three Broomsticks and you can get me a butterbeer," she suggested. "Sound good?"

Her face grew redder as they continued to walk. She pulled her hat down over her head tighter and exhaled into the crisp December air. Fred looked over at her and pulled his scarf off and handed it to her. If possible, her face grew redder. However, she was freezing so she took the scarf from him and wrapped it around her neck. Fred, noting that one of her pigtails had gotten caught in the scarf, pulled it out and smiled at her.

"You didn't pull them?" she asked her breath coming out in clouds.

"We've got a whole date ahead of us. I can pull then," Fred responded.

Carleen smirked and pulled on one of them softly. "I think I might get them cut," she told her as she entered the Three Broomsticks through the door that Fred was holding open for her.

Fred's smiled faltered. He was shocked, horrified even. He walked behind her to a table with a stupid look on his face. Finally, after they sat down he managed to say, "No."

"What?" she questioned having forgotten all about he commented.

"Don't cut your hair," he told her. His ears almost as red as his hair. "Just don't."

Fred looked away from her as the blush crawled on to his cheeks, and Carleen smiled. "Okay, I won't."

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

"Happy Christmas," Fred said as he shook the brunette girl's shoulders. She dropped her fork on to the table in surprise and glared at the Weasley behind her. The members of the Weasley family that had come home for the break smiled at Fred's action, before returning to their breakfast. "Did I scare you?" he asked, sliding into the seat between her and his brother. Carleen rolled her eyes, picked up her fork, and continued to eat her bacon and eggs. Fred laughed and pulled her pigtail. "I'm sorry, Carly." She didn't respond, but the corner of her lips turned up in a smile, and he sighed, knowing she wasn't upset with him. "You look nice," he commented, before starting in on the eggs that his mother had sat before him.

She was wearing the jumper that his mother had knitted for her. It was navy with a large 'c' across the front. It looked nice on her, and she was thoroughly surprised by the gift. She loved it. All of the Wesley's had gotten a jumper for Christmas all with the first initial of their name on it. Ronald had written a quick letter to thank his mother of the gift and said that Harry also loved his.

Pink graced Carleen cheeks as she said, "Thank you, Fred. You look quite dashing in yours as well."

As breakfast came to an end, Carleen excused herself, after Mrs. Weasley, although she insisted that Carleen call her Molly, told her that she was being silly for offering to help with dishes. The brunette then walked about the Borrow, stopping to look at pictures from the past. There were so many of them. In her home, there were only a few pictures. True she was the only child in the family, but shouldn't that mean the parents should want to remember her childhood more? There were so many pictures and all of the red-haired family.

"That one is from our fifth birthday," Fred said as he walked up to her. He picked up the picture and handed it to her. "George and I blew up the cake. That was when we were finding our calling."

"Making a mess?" Carleen asked as she looked at the frosting all over the kitchen in the picture.

"Pranking," he corrected, pulling her pigtail lightly, before taking the picture and setting it back on the table. "I got you something," he said after watching her watch the pictures.

Carleen face turned red, "You didn't have to get me anything."

"Well, I saw it in Hogsmeade, and I thought of you," Fred said, pulling a small box from his pocket. "It's nothing great," he told her as she took the box.

Carleen sat on the arm of the sofa and pulled the silver ribbon off the box and then opened the box. Inside lay a necklace with an oval pendant. After closer inspection, she saw that in, Fred's handwriting, was engraved, 'Carly'. "I love it," she said. "Put it on?" she asked, holding the box out to him.

Fred grabbed the necklace and placed the necklace around her neck, and then clasped it. "You really like it?" he asked, his ears red.

Carleen, who'd been running her finger over the engraving of her nickname, turned and hugged Fred. "I love it, Fred. I'll keep it always," she said.

Fred, startled by her action, lost his breath, but managed to hug her back, smiled. "Good," he exhaled to her hair.


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: And now we start year four. Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and alerts. Check out my other stories, if you'd like. Some of them are quite wonderful, well most of them are, in my opinion. However, I am going to deflate my ego and allow you to read. Enjoy.

**DISCLIMER:** I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p><strong>Year Four<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"My brother almost got expelled from Hogwarts," Fred said as he sat down beside Carleen.

"Oh?" she asked, closing one of the many assigned Gilderoy Lockhart book they had to read for Defense Against the Dark Arts. She looked up into the fire and then over at Fred, who looked irritated to say the least, "Tell me?" she asked as she dropped the book on the floor.

"He and Harry didn't get onto the Platform before the train left, and they flew Dad's car here," Fred said, draping his arm around then back of the sofa. "He's an idiot," Fred muttered while running his other hand over his face.

"How so? That sounds like something you would do," Carleen told him.

"He stole our thunder," Fred admitted. "That is something George, and I would do."

"Ah," Carleen mused. "You're jealous." Fred, who was obviously offended by her statement, pulled her pigtail roughly. "Well, you are," Carleen said, rubbing her scalp. "That one hurt."

Fred rolled his blue eyes and started into the fire. "How do you feel about Lockhart?" he questioned. "You're not one of those girls that's tripping over themselves for him, are you?"

"Fred, when have I ever tripped over myself for a man?" she questioned. "However, to answer you first question, I don't like him. I think there's something fishy about him. Something that doesn't seem quite right. Furthermore, I like my guys with a little darker hair color, more red than blond, and taller and lankier." She had no clue where that sudden burst of confidence came from, but regardless, it was gone now, and she felt the awkwardness of what she'd said sink in. From the corner of her eye, she saw the corner of Fred's lips turn up, and she sighed in relief.

"Really?" he questioned. "You mean like George?" he asked.

"Nah," Carleen admitted. She'd never actually had any kind of romantic interest in George. She'd always looked at George as more of a brother. However, there was something different about Fred. She stood and grabbed her book from the floor. The brunette held the book to her chest and smiled down at Fred. "There's this guy that always pulls my pigtails," she started, "really sweet and funny." She smiled and walked towards the girl's dormitory. "Goodnight, Fred."

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

Since their conversation by the fire, Fred didn't know what to think of Carleen. Was she talking about him when she said what she'd said? Of course, she was. There was no one else that pulled her hair. He knew that. He made sure of that. Now every time he saw her, his heart would race and his palms would get clammy. He didn't know what to do with himself. On one occasion, he even considered checking himself into St. Mungo's Clinic for the Mentally Unstable, until he could figure out what was wrong with him.

So in order to not have all the feelings he got when he saw her, he avoided her. He'd been doing a good job at it. He hadn't spoken to her in four weeks, and that four would have continued if she hadn't walked into the common room late one night and spotted him, sitting on the sofa reading.

"Wow, you can read. That's a shocker," she commented from the portrait hole.

Fred jumped and snapped the book shut quickly. "I was just scanning the words."

"You've been avoiding me." she pointed out, clearly not upset, more amused than anything.

He was avoiding her, but not for the reason that she thought. He wasn't avoiding her because he didn't like her in fact he was avoiding because of the exact opposite. He just had to find the right time to tell her. Fred's heart pounded under his jumper, and he rolled his eyes. "And?"

"Nothing, I'll go and let you continue," she said as she walked by the sofa. "Is your hair really that red?" she questioned, stopping in her tracks, a look of awe graced her face.

Fred's ears grew red and he rubbed his hair, almost as if trying to hide it from view. "No, it's the fire." Carleen walked over to him and ran her fingers through his red hair.

"Do you like Katie?" she asked, after a moment.

Fred smirked, seeing this as a chance to tell her how he felt. "Nah," he said and he could almost feel the relief was over her. "There's this girl that wears pigtails all the time," he started, "really tolerant and brilliant. She's kind of cute." Fred stood and smiled at her. As he walked up to the boy's dorm, he pulled her pigtail, and said, "Goodnight, Carly."

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"Now, who's avoiding who?" Fred asked as he slipped into the seat next to Carleen in History of Magic. "Hmm?"

Carleen rolled her eyes and closed the book on her thumb. "I'm not avoiding you," she told him. "It's only been three days, as I recall you didn't talk to me for the first month of term," Carleen said an amused smirk played on her lips and in her eyes. "No, I'm sorry. I have a project due in Muggle Studies."

"You're Muggle born!" Fred exclaimed, pulling her pigtails to make a point. "Why are you taking that class?"

"It's interesting to see how Wizards look at the Muggle world," Carleen replied as she pulled her parchment from her bag, as well as her ink and quill. "I suppose that you wanted something?"

"Yeah, go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked her.

Carleen dipped her quill in the ink and smirked, "Like on a date?" she asked.

Fred's ears turned red, but he nodded. "Yeah, a date."

"We did that last year," Carleen pointed out as she scribbled her name and the date on the parchment before her.

"That was a fake date," Fed told her. Carleen's eyebrow arched. "Well, not fake, but this is an official date."

Carleen smiled and placed her quill back in the ink container and turned her brown eyes to Fred. It was rather cute how nervous he looked. She could see that he thought that she was going to say no. "As long as you don't take me to that place that smells like cheap perfume and looks like a frilly messy, then I suppose that I would like to go one a date with you," she said, her eyes on the board as Professor Binns wrote the name of the notes on the board. "I'll see you the first Saturday in November at one," she commented lightly as she hand slid across the paper.

"Yeah," Fred said as he pulled a piece of parchment from his bag and dipped his quill in her ink. He too started on the notes.

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

As they stood outside of The Three Broomsticks, Fred pulled her pigtail lightly and nodded towards the warmth of Honeydukes. Carly nodded and walked behind him to the shop. As he'd promised, he didn't take her to the filly place that smelled of cheap perfume. In fact, he'd treated her like a perfect lady. He'd held doors open for her and pulled out her chair at the Three Broomsticks. He'd been so very un-Fred like, and she wasn't liking it. Not one bit.

"So," she started as she walked into Honeydukes behind him and waltzed to the chocolate section. "I said I'd go on a date with Fred Weasley."

"You did," Fred told her. The poor boy was obviously confused about her point.

"And I'm now on a date with some door opening, chair pulling out, gentlemanly freak," she finished. "I'd like the rest of my date to be with Fred Weasley, if you don't mind."

Fred leaned against the wall behind him and rolled his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered tossing a Chocoball at her. "You like these?"

Her brown eyes lit up. "Love them," she answered.

"They're gross," Fred commented.

"What!" Carleen turned to him with chocolate smeared on her lips. "Licorice Wands are gross."

"They are not!" Fred roared, but laughed at her appearance. "You've got chocolate on your lips." Carleen rolled her eyes and licked the sweet off her lips.

"Get it?"

"Not quite," Fred stepped toward her and whipped his finger on the corner of her lips. "Got it."

Carleen's face turned a lovely shade of coral, and she looked down using her hair as a curtain to cover her blush. While looking down, she grabbed Chocoball and handed it to Fred. "Eat them, they're good. I swear," she mused. "Try it," she said, pressing it to his lips. Fred rolled his eyes at her and took a bit off the end of the sweet. "Good, right?"

Fred had to admit that they were good, it was just too much chocolate for him. However, he wouldn't crush her world like that, not when she looked so innocent. He nodded, "You're right," he said. The boy looked down at his watch and sighed. "It's time to go. Filch will have a fit if we aren't back."

"I don't think that he would mind not having a Weasley twin at the school. I promise."

Fred rolled his eyes at her comment, and started out the door. Once the two Gryffindors were outside, Fred wrapped his scarf around her neck, because she left without one. His hands held tight to the ends of the scarf after he'd wrapped it around her. His eyes had been drawn to her lips, as they had been for their entire outing. He bit the inside of his lip, contemplating on kissing her. He wanted to, he truly did. However, he valued their friendship more than anything. However, she'd been the one to bring up the possibility of a relationship. Or maybe it was him, when he gave her the necklace that she always wore. He was over thinking it. He had to be. She wasn't that complicated.

Attempting to sweep the thoughts from his head, he leaned down and paused inches away from her lips. Maybe this was a lousy idea. However, she closed the small gap between their lips, and they stood in front of Honeydukes sharing their first kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>V.<strong>

"She's in the Chamber," Fred muttered as he walked into the Common Room, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His eyes were red, like he'd been crying. Of course, Carleen would never let him know that she noticed that."Whatever beast lives in the Chamber took her, and she's in the Chamber."

"Who?" Carleen asked, closing her book and letting it fall to the floor. She folded her legs under her body, and he sat beside her. His eyes were blank and sighed. "Who, Fred?"

"Ginny," he replied hoarsely. "She's in the Chamber."

Carleen sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Fred gave a half-hearted tug on the pigtail closest to him and sighed. "What if we don't get her out?"

"You will," Carleen said.

This surprised them both. She wasn't usually the optimistic one, that was Fred. However, he'd taken her position as pessimist, and they couldn't both be pessimist. So she, for the time being, played the optimist.

"What if they can't?"

"They will."

"Mum will kill us if anything happens to her," he said running his hands over his face.

"She'll kill you anyway, but not because she couldn't get out of the Chamber."

"Ron went to talk to Lockhart with Harry," Fred commented.

"She likes him," Carleen said. Her eyes were focused on the fire.

"I should hope so, she's her brother. The only one she has the right to dislike is Percy."

"No, no, I meant Harry," she continued. "She likes Harry."

"Oh," he mused. "Well that's amusing. Too bad she'll be locked in a Chamber forever."

Carleen hit him and stood up. "Fred, I'm not going to let you be a pessimist. If you want to do that, then I'm going to bed." However, she immediately felt terrible about what she'd said. "I'm sorry, Fred. I didn't mean that." She chewed on the inside of her lip and waited for his response. "Fred?"

"Come sit down," he said quietly. "I'm not mad, I understand."

Carleen flopped down in the seat beside him, and Fred slipped his arm around her. She sighed into his red hair before muttered into his ear, "She'll be fine."


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another chapter for you, peoples. I'm trying to make sure that I get the important Harry Potter things in here. I didn't do a good job in one in this one, but yeah. Enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p><strong>Year Five<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

Everything suddenly went dark. Carleen felt her heart pounding under her shirt as she stood in Diagon Alley. She bit her lip, as she tried to think of the least conspicuous way to rid herself of her attacker. Of course, there was none. She was surrounded by people. She was blind, and she hated it. A pair of lips caressed the skin just behind her ear, and she shivered. Great now, she was going to be sexually assaulted, maybe someone would help her. Then there was a tug at her hair.

"FRED!" Carleen shouted as she turned in his grasp and hit his arm. 'You scared me!" Carleen's brow knitted together in anger, and for some reason, Fred found it hilarious. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "What's so funny?" she asked, her voice low and angry.

Fred whipped a tear from his eyes and smiled at her, "You're cute when you're mad." Carleen huffed, turned on her heel, and walked away. "Carly, wait," he shouted as he pushed through the crowd. He grabbed her hand, when he caught up to her, spun her around, and kissed her. "I'm sorry I startled you," he told her.

And just like that, she was putty in his hands. "It's fine," she replied, lacing her fingers in his. "How was Egypt?" she questioned.

Fred smiled, "I wish you could have been there. It was great. George and I met these two guys and they showed us a ton of new pranks. I can't wait to try them at school," Fred stopped his sentence immediately. He'd forgotten that the girl beside him, who had her fingers laced in his, was a Prefect. "Carly?"

"No harm, no foul," she commented. "I'll pretend that I heard nothing. However, when I see it, detention for all involved."

Fred smirked and pushed her against the outside of a shop that they were passing. The crowd had thinned as they got further away from the center, until there were only a few people passing by. Fred stood with his hands on either side of her head and asked, "Would you be there?"

"In detention?" she asked, her brain was fuzzy from how close he was to her. Fred nodded. "I seriously hope not."

"For me?" he asked leaning down to kiss her. She shook her head, and he kissed her again, and again, and again. "You sure?"

If her brain was fuzzy before, it had now been taken over by giant caterpillars. "Yes," she said on an exhale. Fred pressed his lips to hers again, parting her lips with his tongue. "I'll see what I can do," Carleen said, after he'd pulled away. His ears and face were red, and she was sure that hers were too.

"Atta girl," Fred laughed, kissing her again.

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

She'd been patrolling the corridors when the train stopped. She growled under her breath and stalked off to the compartment that Fred, George, and Lee, usually occupied. Once she was there, she crossed her arms and glared at each boy in turn.

"What have you done?"

"You think that we have something to do with this?" George asked. "I like your girlfriend, Fred, she's giving us credit for this. She think highly of us."

Fred nodded, "A little two highly of us. This," Fred waved his hand as around, "isn't our doing. Sorry, you've got the wrong people."

The train gave another lurch and Carleen stumbled, and fell on to Fred's lap. Her face turned red as she pushed herself off his lap and sat beside him. Fred smirked at the coloring of her face, but he could only see it for a moment, because the lights on the train flicked off. Like boys, they all moved and looked out the window. Fred gave her hair a soft pull to let her know that he had returned to his spot beside her. Carleen's hand found his, and she squeezed it once.

Everything was cold, the windows started to freeze and as the four Gryffindors exhaled their breath could be seen in little white puffs. The cold only got worse, and Carleen pressed against Fred, hoping that he would be warm, but he wasn't. Then noiselessly, black clocks floated down the corridor of the train. One stopped in front of their compartment and without even touching they door opened it. It was then that they were able to see that the clocks were torn, and they no one was beneath them.

"Dementor," Carleen said silently as the creature looked at them through blind eyes. Carleen tried to will herself to not be afraid, for she knew that the creatures were drawn to fear, but she couldn't. The more the creature drew it's raspy breaths, the more afraid she became.

The creature floated into the compartment, bring it's cold with it. Then there was a miserable feeling within her. She closed her eyes as she felt her happiness leaving her body. She pressed closer to Fred, trying to surround herself with memories that were being covered by bad ones. As quickly as her memories began to leave, they stopped and the Dementor torturing their compartment, along with all the others, fled the train.

Slowly, Carleen pulled out of Fred's grasp, and grabbed her wand," Lumos," she said shakily.

A small light erupted from the tip of her wand and dimly lit the compartment. The faces of all the boys were pale. Fred and George's more so than Lee's, but even his ebony tone seemed lighter. Slowly, the lights came back one, and the light from Carleen's wand disappeared.

"Prefects please report to compartment C, please," a voice called over the loud speaker.

Carleen exhaled as she stood, her body still of balance. "I should go," she said. "Don't do anything on this ride, please?" she begged the boys before leaving.

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"Are you alright?" Fred asked.

Carleen looked up from her book and closed it completely. She was thankful for the interruption, she was sure that she'd read the same like twenty times. She hadn't been exactly right, since her encounter with the Dementor on the train a week ago. She was shaky and easily distracted, as well as frightened. It had been nearly impossible to read her hand writing, because her hands shook. Her brown eyes focused on his blue ones, and she sighed. "What?"

"I asked if you were alright?" He repeated. "Madam Pomfrey might have something for that," he said as he gestured to her. "In fact," he reached into his pocket pulled out a small vial of light purple liquid, "I know she does. She said that it'll make you sleepy, but when you wake up, you should feel better."

Carleen took the vial and eyed it for a moment. "You went and got this for me?"

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't worry about you while I'm hundreds of feet in the air, swinging at a bludger with a bat." His ears were red, and she knew that that wasn't really why he'd gotten the potion for her. "And I need your notes to be legible," the blush continued to his checks. That was more true, but not really the reason. "And because, I'm worried about you." Right on the money. Fred sat beside her and unstopped the vial. "I'll be here when you wake up," he said, pulling her hair after he handed the vial to her.

Carleen tilted her head back and drank the contents of the vial in one go. Immediately, everything felt fuzzy. She blinked once or twice to get the feeling to go away, but that only heightened. Her eyelids grew heavy and, she leaned against Fred's chest. She blinked one last time, and her eyes wouldn't open again. Everything was distant and sounded like she was listening to the sounds from beneath the surface of the Black Lake.

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

"Detention, Mr. Weasley," Carleen said as she handed the parchment to him. "Tomorrow, at six," she continued. "In the trophy room."

Fred smirked as he remember her words while he walked to the aforementioned detention.

"Hello, beautiful," he said as he spotted her in the trophy room, with a sugar Quill hanging from her lips.

"Hey, Fred," she muttered. She pulled the Quill from her lips and handed it to him. "Want?"

"Thanks," he said placing the sweet on his tongue. "What's my punishment?" Carleen pointed at a bucket with a towel and then to the trophies. "Clean them?" She nodded.

"No magic," she said.

"Of course."

Fred started on the trophies. However, less than five minutes later, he lips were on his overseers neck. He ran the Sugar Quill down her cheek, leaving a trail of sugar on her face.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"You may," Fred responded handing her the rag.

Carleen scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No sir." However, her hands took the rag and wrung it out. She then waved her wand and another rag appeared in Fred's hands. "We'll work together."

Fred nodded and dunked his rag in the water before starting on the trophy next to Carleen. However, the teams progress didn't last long, because Fred slowly started a water war. At first, he'd dunk that ran in the water roughly, splashing her. Then he'd wring the rag out over her legs. He continued, seeing how far he could push her, until Carleen grabbed her rag and hit him with it. Fred got mischievous look in his eyes and Carleen stood backing away. However, Fred was faster than her, and he had her cornered in a second. He wrung the rag out over her hair.

"Fred!" she exclaimed, shaking her hair and getting him wet. Fred grabbed her hair and gave it a tug. "Fred!" She pulled her hair away from him, and sighed. "I'm all wet now."

"You'll be okay," he said as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek where the sugar was.

* * *

><p><strong>V.<strong>

"We gave Harry the map," Fred told Carleen.

"The map?" she asked. "That parchment that you and George carry around?"

"Yeah," Fred said, "I wish I hadn't. Life's going to be boring."

She didn't respond, instead she turned her eyes down to the book on her lap. Offended, Fred pulled her hair. "Ouch, what?"

"Harry and the map," Fred prompted.

"Yeah, you gave it to him. I heard that."

"Then I said life would be boring," Fred prompted again.

Carleen leaned up and kissed him. 'Life's never boring with me."

"That's what I wanted to hear."


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **This is a super long chapter, and I like it. So yeah, enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: **I still down own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p><strong>Year Six<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"Carleen," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Carleen stepped out of the fireplace, covered in soot, and smiled at the round, red-haired woman, as she bustled over to hug her. The woman kissed each of her cheeks before pulling out her wand, and pointing at her. "Let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" The woman flicked her wand and all of the soot disappeared for Carleen's clothes, hair and face. "Clean as new," Mrs. Weasley commented. "Staying until the start of term?" Mrs. Weasley asked after looking at Carleen's bags.

"Fred said that it was alright," Carleen said.

"It's more than all right," Molly said. "Well just add a bed to Ginny's room. And lucky for Fred, Charlie just wrote us, saying that he couldn't make it to the Cup and sent us the ticket back. So you can go with them."

"The Cup?" she questioned not knowing what the woman was talking about.

"Carly," Fred shouted from the stairs as he ran towards her. He pulled her into a bone crushing hug and then kissed her soundly. "How are you?"

Her brain was a little fuzzy from when his lips had touched hers. "I'm well and yourself?" she asked.

"Brilliant," he responded. "We're going to the Quidditch World Cup, and you as of today are coming with us. Right. Mum?"

"Right, Fred," she called from inside of the kitchen.

Fred leaned over and grabbed her trunk and her bag. "Now, I shall show you to your room, my dear."

A pink blush spread across her face as she followed Fred up the stairs. He knocked once on a door, that Carleen recognized as Ginny's room. Whenever she came over, all of the girls stayed in Ginny's room. Mrs. Weasley had once said that if Ginny had not been a girl, then she wouldn't have a room for her female guests. However, she didn't have to worry about it since Ginny was a girl.

"It's open," the youngest Weasley shouted through the door.

Fred kicked the door open and smiled at his younger sister. "I brought you Carly," he announced as he sat her bag down at the foot of Ginny's bed. Ginny had already run over to the older girl and hugged her by the time that Fred even finished his sentence. "I see that you're excited about that. Now the only rule I have about sleep in the same room as my girlfriend is: don't pull her hair. That's my job," Fred told her, and to prove his point he gave her pigtails a nice pull. "Got it?"

"Get out, Fred," Ginny said as she pushed the door close.

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

"Fred. George take Ginny," Arthur Weasley shouted as chaos broke out at the World Cup Camping Site.

George took hold of Ginny as they ran off, but Fred stopped in his tracks "What are you doing?" George shouted over the screams of the Cup goers.

"Carleen," Fred said.

"She's fine; she can take care of herself," George urged. "Come on."

"No, no, you go," Fred shouted as he ran back into the crowd. "I'll meet you there."

Before George could argue, Fred was gone. George rolled his eyes and pulled Ginny into the woods and towards the spot where the family would meet.

Fred, on the other hand, pushed through the crowd as he shouted out Carleen's name. There were so many faces, and his eyes couldn't focus on them. So he started looking for hair color, and when that failed the color of clothing, however, that didn't help much either. Finally, he started looking for her pigtails. It was then that he found her. Her wand was pointed at a Death Eater. The Death Eater knew. He knew that she was Muggle born, and he was going to kill her. Fred pulled his wand out and pointed at the Death Eater before shouting, "Stupefy." A blue light shot out of his wand and hit the man square in the chest. For a moment, he hoped that he'd killed the man.

He held his hand out to Carleen, and she took it without a second's hesitation. Fred pulled her thought the crowd, blocking a few curses as he went. They said nothing to one another, they just ran. There were times that his hand would slip out of hers, and he had to wait for her to find him again. It was decidedly much easier to locate him, a tall red-head, than it was for him to locate her. Every time she lost his hand and found it again, he'd give her hair a nice tug so that she knew she had the right hand. Then finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they pulled free from the panicked crowd and out into the woods.

Fred didn't stop running. He pulled her through the forest and to the meeting spot. Ginny and George stood there. However, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were nowhere to be found.

"What is wrong with you?" Fred shouted at her. His blue eyes held so much rage that she was afraid to look at him, but she did. "What is bloody wrong with you?" he shouted again. "You were just going to stand there and let that Death Eater kill you? He was going to kill you, and you were just going to let him?" Fred was more angry that she'd ever seen him. "You're an idiot. Where you even going to defend yourself? he asked her.

By that time, Arthur had joined the group. Harry, Ron, and Hermione where still missing, but that was the farthest thing from Fred and Carleen's mind. They stood there in silence, the raw anger building up between them. In the back of her mind, she knew why he was so angry. She knew he was angry because he almost lost her. However, that rational thought was pushed so far away from her logical thinking that she would never think of it. He was yelling at her. How bloody dare he? Then after a moment, she lifted her hand and slapped him. The sound echoed through the silent space.

She walked away from Fred, and towards Ginny, who offered a comforting hand on her shoulder. Fred touched his face where her hand had collided with his face. He was shocked. However, she'd deserved everything he'd said to her. He turned to his father and George, "Let's go back and find Ron."

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

She hadn't looked at him in months. Not since the Quidditch Cup. And he hadn't looked at her either. In fact, he went to the lengths of asking Angelina Johnson to the Yule Ball. When she found out she was heartbroken. Angelina had been avoiding her, trying to think of a way to break the news to her, but Ginny got to her first. So Carleen had cornered her Angelina in the dorm and told her that she was happy for her and if she didn't stop avoiding her she'd kill her. Of course, she wasn't happy for Angelina, she hated her. Angelina knew how she felt about Fred, and she said yes anyway. Some friend.

However, she couldn't spend her year moping around the castle, and she most certainly wasn't going to miss the Yule Ball. So thanks to Hermione Granger, she'd become friends with one of Viktor Krum's friends, Yordan. He'd asked her to the ball a few weeks after the meet, and she agreed.

Now she stood at the top of the marble staircase in a light turquoise floor length straight dress. The front had a slight 'v' as to show off her 'lovely cleavage' as Katie had put it. The straps were covered in rhinestones and crossed in the back. Alicia had said that she looked like a princess when she tried it on and that if she didn't buy it then she would buy it for her. So she'd bought it. On her feet, although no one could see, where a pair of silver heels. Yordan bowed to her as she descended the staircase, and when she reached her took her hand and kissed it. A pink blush graced her cheeks as they entered the Great Hall.

Carleen danced a few dances with Yordan, who was a excellent dancer. He disappeared into the crowd, promising to return with punch. So Carleen took this opportunity to rest her feet.

"You look lovely," a tight voice said from behind her.

It had been so long since she'd heard his voice, that it was almost foreign to her. "Thank you, Fred," she responded politely.

He sat his cup down on the table and offered his hand to her. "Can I talk to you?" he asked. "Outside."

Carleen nodded and took his hand as she stood. An old feeling of pleasure rushed through her veins. She pulled her hand from Fred's quickly and followed him. The two walked out of the noisy Great Hall, into the entrance Hall, and out into one of the school's many courtyards. Fred pushed his hands into his pockets and sighed, his breath coming out in a white cloud. He then turned to Carleen and took a step towards her.

"Carly," he started softly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have never said those things to you." He told her. "I was just scared."

"Of what Fred?" she questioned although she already knew the answer.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he said honestly. His blue eyes looked everywhere but at her. "I saw that Death Eater and I just thought that I was going to lose you. When I stunned him, I wanted to have killed him. If he was going to kill you, then I would kill him. I've spent hours thinking about this, Carleen. If that cretin had killed you, I would have made him suffer a fate a million times worse than death."

"You care that much?" she asked, her voice soft.

Fred's blue eyes finally met her brown ones. "Merlin, Carleen, I thought it was obvious. I'd give anyone that fate if they laid a finger on you." He touched her cheek. "Don't you get it? I love you more than anything, except pranking and George."

Carleen rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Second best to pranking and George the rest of the Weasley clan?" She thought a moment. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"So you'll have me back?" Fred asked.

"Of course," she responded.

"Do you love me back?" he asked, feeling a little self-conscious about her not saying it back. However, he pulled on her hair, which was not in pigtails, to let her know that he wanted an answer.

She thought a moment, and then kissed him. "Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>IV. <strong>

"Carleen, try one of these," George demanded of his twin's girlfriend.

"I will do no such thing. It's it out of that horrid Snackbox that you two have conjured up?" Carleen asked not looking up from her book. "And Fred said that it was a prototype. Stop testing it on the first year, eh?"

"Fred, your girlfriend is a stick in the mud," George shouted to his brother, who was selling out of the prototype Snackboxs.

"I told you she wouldn't try it," Fred called back. "Alright, you lot," Fred said. "We just sold our last Snackbox. Check back in a few weeks, eh?" Fred walked off to George and handed him the money. "Count away, Gred."

Fred pulled Carleen's hair and then sat beside her. He opened his palm to show her a pink and yellow sweet. "Try it," he urged. "It's good for you." Carleen shook her head. "Don't you want me to succeed in life, Carly?"

"Yes, Fred." Carleen answered automatically. She then sighed, knowing that he was going to rope her into doing it one way or another. "Give it here."

'Don't you want to know what it is?" he asked as he handed half of the candy to her.

"No," was her reply. "Am I going to regret this?" she asked holding it inches away from her lips.

"Nope," Fred answered.

Carleen ate her half of the treat and immediately she felt dizzy. Everything around her went fuzzy. Her vision blurred, and everything she heard was distant. Then everything was dark. A few moments, later she was blinking in the light.

"What the bloody hell was that?" she asked as she sat up with Fred's help.

"That my dear was a Fainting Fancy," he handed her a piece of chocolate. "Here, it'll make you feel better." Carleen glared at the chocolate. "It's chocolate, I swear. Here, Carleen," he said. However, she still didn't take it. "Look, I just put the other half of that Fainting Fancy in your mouth, I'll put the chocolate in there too." Carleen snatched the chocolate from his hand and chewed it. "So you want to buy some?"

"I'm dating the manufacturer. I don't have to buy the things that are going to possibly kill me," Carleen answered.

"Touché."

* * *

><p><strong>V.<strong>

"Look at all the money that Harry gave us," Fred shouted as he danced about the common room in front of Carleen. Carleen had covered her face the book she was reading in order to block out the sight. "Carleen," he shouted pulling oh her pigtail to get her attention. "Harry's a saint! A thousand Galleons. Count them if you'd like."

"Fred, I believe you," she said as he waved the bag in her face. "What are you going to do with it?"

"START THE JOKE SHOP!" Fred and George exclaimed together.

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," Fred continued. "We've already got a lot and everything."

"I'm happy for you," Carleen said before returning to her book.

"You can work with us," George said. "I'm sure you'll look lovely in magenta."

"Magenta?"

"That's what the employee's wear, magenta robes," Fred told her. He sat beside her keeping Galleons close to him. "Come work with us after we graduate?" he asked her.

"I'll think about it," she said as she took the bag of Galleons from him. Fred kissed her swiftly and went to sit with George.

He'd left her with his Joke Shop money. The little action that seemed unimportant to anyone else, was the most significant gesture of all to her. He trusted her with more money than he'd seen in probably his whole life. That meant more than any ring or necklace in the world.

"Send me an owl when you open," she said to Fred and George, who both smiled at her answer before turning back to their plans.


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Alright, so this is the last year at Hogwarts. I hope it's good. The story will continue until the Battle of Hogwarts.

**DISCLAIMER: **Still don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p><strong>Year Seven<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

There was a soft _pop_ from behind her as she packed her trunk for her last and final year at Hogwarts. There was a soft tug at her pigtails, followed by the sensation of warm lips on the skin of her neck.

"Look who passed their Apparating test," the brunette sang as she dropped her clothes into her trunk and wrapped her arms around Fred Weasley's neck. "That's great," she muttered into his neck. Fred tilted her chin up and kissed her. "But why apparate here first?" she questioned, before turning away from him and going back to her packing.

"Well," he started as he sat down on her bed, "we aren't at the burrow. We're somewhere else."

"Oh?" Carleen asked, swatting his hand away from the contents of her trunk. "Where?"

"You remember my letter about the Order?" He looked over at her and saw that she was nodding. "Well we are staying at Sirius Black's place, they're using that as headquarters. So I came to fetch you, my dear. I didn't want you apparating to the wrong location and getting attached by Death Eaters."

Carleen scoffed and flicked her wand so that she trunk was closed. She then grabbed her carry on satchel and shouldered it. "Alright, well, take me to the place."

"Not going to say goodbye to your parents?" he asked as he grabbed her trunk.

"They are out of town. I think that they like it better when I'm gone," Carleen said honestly with a shrug. She took Fred's hand and closed her eyes. "Don't splinch me," she demanded.

Fred laughed, and suddenly it felt as if they were being pulled through a very small, very tight rubber tube. Her chest felt as if it were on fire, and her eyes felt as if they were being pressed deeper into their sockets. She was dizzy, and she hated it. Then suddenly her feet where on the ground in a very dark corridor. Carleen blinked several times and sighed. Fred's hand had slipped from hers and to her waist to support her.

"Did you pass your test?" he asked her, with a smirk on his lips.

"Yes," she responded breathlessly. "I just hate apparating."

"Well, in any case, Mum said that you can stay with Ginny and Hermione, or you can have your own room."

"Why break tradition?" she questioned. "Of course, I'll stay with them."

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

"I dislike that woman," Carleen growled as she dropped her satchel on the floor of the common room and fell on to the sofa beside Fred. Fred looked down at her in complete shock. George did the same from his chair beside the sofa.

"Did you just say that you dislike someone?" Fred asked.

"Umbridge, yes, I said I disliked her," Carleen responded. "She's not teaching us a bloody thing."

"Join Harry's little club thing," Fred urged. "We're meeting in ten minutes." Fred stood, and Carleen pulled Carleen up with him. "Come with us," he asked again. He ran his fingers through each of her pigtails, pulled a few knots out as he went. "Your hair is really long," he told her as his pinched the last bit of her hair less than an inch below her breasts.

"I know. You told me not to cut it, so I haven't," Carleen said.

"Get a room," George shouted from the portrait hole. "Are you coming or not?"

Carleen pulled away from Fred and shed her cloak, so that she was just in her jumper and white button down shirt. "Okay, but I can't get in trouble."

"You're a Prefect," Fred and George chorused.

"I should have been Head Girl," she growled as Fred to her hand and let her from the common room.

The approached a dead end at the end of a corridor and Carleen glared at it. Harry was having a meeting in a corridor? They were going to get caught, and she was going to lose her Prefect position. Even though she should have been worried about losing her Head Girl position. Fred gave her hair a small tug, before pulling hr through a door that had mystically appeared before them. Carleen got an uneasy feeling about the doors, but allowed herself to be pulled into them. Beyond the doors, was a large room who's walls were with mirrors, a fireplace at the far end.

"Carly," Ginny, exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you."

"I was forced against my will," Carleen responded.

Hermione took control then. Within the first five minutes that had elected a leader, Harry Potter, and a name for the group, Dumbledore's Army. Harry then announced that they would start with the disarming charm. He then picked her, Carleen, to help him demonstrate. Why had e picked her? She'd spoken to him a total of six or seven times in her life, and he picked her. She pulled out of Fred's grasp and drew her wand from her pocket.

"Ready, when you are," Harry said politely as he pointed his wand at her.

"Expelliarmus," Carleen said lightly while swishing her wand in a slight 'j' like motion. Harry wand shot from his hand and into hers.

Harry approached her and took his wand, praising her along the way. "You're going to be my assistant," Harry said to her as he took her wand and walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"Mom, seems to really like you," Fred said from the doorway of the room that she was sharing with Ginny and Hermione. "You got a scarf and a Jumper." Carleen rolled out of the center of her bed and to one side, allowing Fred told lay next to her. Carleen rolled on to her side and met Fred's blue eyes. "I asked her to knit you a scarf, since you always seemed to be without one." A pink blush spread across her cheeks. "And of course, you'd be embarrassed by that."

"No, just that your mother now thinks that I walk outside in the winter without a scarf," Carleen responded.

"You do," Fred laughed.

"Only so you'll give me yours," she told him.

Fred kissed her. "You could have just asked. I'm the plotting mastermind in this relationship, not you."

"My plan always succeeds," she told him, "I always get your scarf."

Fred rolled his eyes and kissed her again. This was the first time that they had been alone since break started. He and George were always working on the plans for the shop. She and Ginny were always talking about boys, a topic that made Fred slightly uncomfortable, or she and Hermione were talking about books. Or she was reading something in Sirius Black library, which was rather extensive. Or Fred was with George working on new products of the shop. The most that he'd seen her was at meals, where she sat across from him, and they played a subtle game of Footsie under the table.

Somehow, she ended up on top of him, with his lips on her neck, and a foreign sound escaping her lips. Her sound brought Fred back to reality, and he pulled his lips away from her now pink skin. His blue eyes met her brown ones as he tangled his fingers in the ends on her pigtails.

"Sorry," he apologized breathlessly.

Carleen reached over and pulled her wand off the bedside table and pointed at the door which closed. If George or Ginny saw them, they'd never live this moment down. Neither teen moved from their position. Carleen kept her knees on either said of his body and Fred kept his fingers tangled in the ends of her hair.

"Really?" Fred asked as the tips of his ears turned red. They'd been having one of their famous silent conversations. His hands slipped from her hair to her hips. "Really?" Carleen but her lip, but nodded. Fred fingers tangled in the ends of her pigtails, and gave them a soft tug to pull her closer.

"Can't keep your hands off, can you?" she asked, referring to her pigtails.

Fred kissed her again, this time with on intent on stopping. His hands feel from her hair and tailed down her sides until he reached the hem of her jumper. He tugged at the hem, letting her know his intentions, before pulling it up and over her head.

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

"Carleen," Harry said, calling her out again. "Can you produce a Patronus?" She nodded, embarrassed by him calling her out. "Can we see it?" he asked her. She shook her head.

"Carly's just being shy," Fred shouted to Harry as he pushed her out of his grasp. "She'd love to show us her Patronus. Right, Carleen?" Fred asked as he and George chuckled over the events.

"I suppose I would now." Carleen brushed her hair from her eyes and sighed. She'd never had to conjure a Patronus when people where looking. Especially when the person that her happy memories centered around was in the room staring at her. Hr face turned a little pink as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Kay," she muttered to herself as she opened her eyes. She channeled all the times that Fred pulled her pigtails and made her laugh. "Expecto Patronum," she said. A bright, white, translucent light shot from her wand. After a moment, the light started to take a shape. The shape of a wolf.

Fred and George Wolf Whistled from behind her, and Carleen lost focus on her Patronus, and it disappeared.

"Brilliant," Harry said. "Would you like to help get the others going?"

"Sure, Harry. Why not?"

Fred and George both took one of her pigtails and pulled her over to them.

"Alright, Teacher's Pet," George started.

"Help us," Fred finished.

Carleen sighed and rubbed her head. "Okay, think of your happiest memory and then get lost in it, ya' know?" Carleen had turned her back to them and trying to fix her hair. She looked in the mirror and saw Fred watching her. "Focus you," she demanded as a pink blush crossed her face. After a moment, she asked. "Got you memory?" They nodded, "Good. Now say the incantation."

"Expecto Patronum," the twin said in unison. Out of George's wand, shot a Coyote and out of Fred's A Hyena."

Carleen rolled her eyes. "Very fitting, boys."

* * *

><p><strong>V.<strong>

_"Boys and girls are not permitted within eight inches of each other."_

Fred stopped short and glared at the loud speaker. "She's gone mad!" Fred shouted. "She can't tell me that I can't stand within eight inches of my girlfriend!"

"Fred," Carleen shouted at him. "Calm down," she soothed. "You're within eight inches now." Fred reached out and pulled her hair. He knew that her hair was eighteen inches long. So he pulled it, and he was indeed within eight inches of her.

"HAHA!" he shouted to the speaker above. "HAHA! I'm within eight inches of her right now!"

A spell shot from down the hall separated Fred and Carleen immediately. Fred flew back and hit the wall. Carleen turned her eyes to the spell caster and saw that it was Umbridge. The woman in pink huffed in a high pitch and continued down the corridor. Carleen then looked towards Fred.

"Are you alright?"

* * *

><p><strong>VI.<strong>

Her tears had dried long ago, but her body still shook with silent sobs. Fred ran his fingers through her hair. The couple sat on the sofa in the Gryffindor Common Room. Well, Fred was sitting, and Carleen was lying against his chest. He'd pulled her against him before when she was in tears over the pain that radiated from her hand.

"Shush," he attempted to soothe. "Shush, Carly, I bet the pain's already gone." Of course, he knew that it wasn't. He still felt it every time he closed his hand. "Don't you have a book you have to read?" he asked her. He had to see her cry. She hit his arm in response. "Well, don't you?"

"Yeah," she muttered into his jumper.

"Then read," he said before he pulled her pigtail gently, not wanting to cause her anymore pain.

"I'll stay here," she mumbled into his chest.

"Fair enough."

* * *

><p><strong>VII. <strong>

Carleen listened to the sound of the fireworks and laughter that rang from her boyfriend and his twin brother's prank. She'd been leaning with her elbow on one of the ledges in the Astronomy with her face buried in her hands. She heard the fireworks more clearly as they left the building and started to burst outside. She could hear the glass on Umbridge's Proclamation's shattering.

"Hey," Fred said as flew up to the window and pulled her pigtail softly. "Are you crying?"

"No," she answered honestly, turning her brown eyes to his grey ones. "Write me, won't you?"

"Every day," Fred answered. He kissed her. "Have fun, Carleen. Don't be a stick in the mud Prefect while I'm gone," he demanded ."If you turn into Percy, I'll kill you." Carleen smiled and nodded. "Good. I love you."

"I love you, too," she called after him as he flew off towards George.


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **This is the second to last chapter. I'll miss this story when it's all done, but it'll always be here for me to love. Thank you guys for being so loyal and review it. It makes my day to see all the reviews and story alerts and story favorites. I might write a little one shot about what happened when Fred and George left Hogwarts, because I love them so much. And I used the prompt in this chapter, and I will use it next chapter as well. This one is long. I'm really sorry about that. It's about 4,000 words. So enjoy. Oh one more thing, I'm going to keep the while year -insert number here-, that way we aren't confused. Now you can enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: ** I don't own Harry Potter, still.

* * *

><p><strong>Year Eight<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"Move in with us?"

The question had come suddenly, one night as they walked down the street in front of her home in the Muggle Suburbs. His fingers were laced within hers, and their hands were swinging between them. She was wearing one of his mother's hand knitted jumpers and a pair of faded jeans. Her cheeks had a slight pink tinge to them, for the wind blowing on her cheeks.

"What?" she asked with her right eyebrow arched.

"Come move into the flat the George and I bought," Fred clarified. "Carleen, it'll be a blast. You can get away from your parents."

That's all he had to say. She was sold. Her parents hadn't been exactly fond of her continuing to live at home after she graduated. They thought that Hogwarts had prepared a job for her. Carleen laughed at the thought. She'd gotten an internship from St. Mungo's to work to become a healer, the week after graduation. Fred had urged her to take the position, saying that the opportunity only came around once. So she took it. She spent many nights away from home, which pleased her parent. However, the company that she was with displeased them. Fred and George had bought a lovely flat in the middle of Wizarding London. It was within two miles of Diagon Alley, and seven miles from the Wizarding Hospital, St. Mungo's. So on most nights, after a hard shift, Carleen would, if possible apparate to Fred and George's flat. There had been times where Fred or George had to come and retrieve her from the hospital, knowing that she was far too tired to travel alone. Once at Weasley flat, Carleen would collapse on the sofa and into Fred's chest or George's, it was difficult to tell them apart when she was so tired that she was seeing four of them, chest and fall asleep. Or they would apparate her into Fred's room where Fred would tuck her in or George would throw a comforter over her, whichever one came and got her.

"You spend all of your time there anyway," Fred pushed as he tugged on her hair.

"Okay," she responded. "I'll move in with you."

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

"Thanks for shopping Weasley's Wizard's Wheezes," Carleen said as the bagged the merchandise. "Have a fantastic day."

"You're too nice," Fred said as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the part in her hair. "We need funny, and you're being a bleeding ball of sunshine." Carleen turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her right eyebrow arched, and she pursued her lips. "What?"

"Are you going to fire me?" she asked with a pretend pout on her lips.

Fred seemed to be thinking, and Carleen scoffed. He gave her hair and soft tug to let her know that he was kidding. "I would never do that," he told her honestly, "it would make for bad living conditions." Carleen hit his arm and rolled her eyes. "And because George and I were right, you look lovely in magenta," he said gesturing to her magenta button down shirt.

"Well I'm glad that I meet your approval," she responded.

"Oi, you two," George said from a higher floor. Carleen and Fred turned their eyes up to him. "If you're going to be all in love and such, go stand by the love potions. A girl asked me if you had taken one, Carly. I told her yes, and she bought three boxes." Carleen stared back at him blankly. "Go," George shouted.

Fred pulled her from behind the register and called Verity to take her place. He then drug her over the love potions, where there were several girls looking although they were pretending not to. Fred pulled Carleen into his arms and kissed her soundly, right in the middle of the store. The girls that were pretending not to look were now having a hard time pretending _not_ to look at the couple before them. Fred's hand slipped from her hips and to one of the vials of potion. He tapped it and gave a thumbs up, all without breaking the kiss. From what he heard, the girls gathered as may bottles as they could and ran off.

Carleen pushed away from him. "Don't use me to sell your merchandise," she said before hitting him.

"Carleen," Fred said softly. He rarely used her real name he said it sounded to adult for her, so when he did she paid it a lot of attention. "I'm not using you to sell the merchandise. Did you ever think that maybe I just wanted to kiss you in the middle of my shop?'

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"I got you a little something from the shop," Fred sang as he walked into his room and saw Carleen lounging on the bed in a pair of his pajama pants and his hand-knitted Weasley jumper. He leaned on the doorframe and watched her for a moment. She was wearing her glasses. She reminded him of Percy when she wore her glasses, but not tonight. Tonight, the mixture of her in his clothes, pigtails, and glasses, stirred something else within him. "Hello, beautiful," he said as he walked into the room and closed her book on healing. He kissed her softly. "Would you like to see what I got you?" She nodded trying to reach for the book he'd placed just beyond her reach. Fred opened his left hand and revealed a maroon colored Pygmy Puff. "I made him just for you."

The highbred creature jumped from his hand to her shoulder and purred as it rubbed against her neck. "It's lovely," Carleen said as she grabbed the book she so desperately wanted. "Thank you." She kissed him and then opened the book again.

"Carly," he said to her. "You've been reading for days, talk to me," Fred begged as he shed his jacket and vest and lay down beside her. Her Pygmy Puff had walked on to her wrist and was reading with her. "I got you the only literate Pygmy Puff in the world," Fred muttered. Carleen closed her book slowly and started to take off her glasses, "No," he said reaching over to stop her. "Leave them, they look good."

"That's a first," Carleen responded as she took her glasses off anyway. She rubbed her brown eyes and sighed deeply. The brunette then rolled over and buried her face in her boyfriend's chest. "Take me away," she demanded.

Fred smiled and ran his fingers through the loose ends of her pigtails. "I would love to," he said softly. "But you wanted this." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "You're brilliant," he told her. "They know that. That's why you're excelling so quickly. You'll pass, love," Fred said.

"You have to say that," Carleen said into his chest.

"Not really," he stated honestly. "But it's true, so I say it. So what are you naming him?" he asked gesturing to the Pygmy Puff that had hopped on to her head. Fred held his hand out to the critter, and it crawled on to his hand. "He likes you," Fred sang as he placed the Puff between the two of them.

As if to prove his point, the Pygmy Puff nuzzled her arm and bit one of her fingers, gently. Carleen picked the creature up, rolled over on to her back, and sat the Puff on her chest. "Gryffin," she said suddenly.

"Gryffin?" Fred asked. "Oh," the male said after a moment of thinking. "It's punny."

"Wow, punny?" she questioned with her eyebrows arched.

Fred kissed her, moving his invention from her chest and sitting on the table beside the bed.

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"

Fred was shaking her, in a very rough manner. She swatted at his arm and tried to get him to stop. He'd been like this last year, when she stayed with his family for Christmas at the late Sirius Black's residence. He'd come bouncing into the room that she, Hermione, and Ginny shared, tripped over Ginny's bag, and toppled on to her bed; where he proceeded to shake her, roughly. Much like he was now. Carleen rolled over so that she faced away from him, and the light that he had just turned on. He was still shaking her, and to add to his actions, he was pulling her messy pigtails, as well.

"What, Fred?" she asked through a yawn.

"It's Christmas," he shouted. "Come on, I got you something." He'd pulled the covers off her by then. He smiled goofily at her when he saw that she was wearing his pajama bottoms and one of his shirts. "You've taken a liking to these, haven't you?" he asked.

Carleen looked down, as if she'd forgotten that she was wearing them, "They're warm."

"Good," he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Now, come on." He was pulled her arm now.

"Go open gift with George," she whined as she was tugged to her feet. Fred shouted something that sounded like 'Already done that', and she looked at the clock. It was almost ten. "You let me sleep in?" she asked.

Fred covered her eyes, "Well, I had to get your gift ready."

"I hope you didn't spend a lot, Fred," Carleen scolded as she walked down the corridor, feeling along the walls with her hands. "Fred, what did you do?" she asked as he chuckled softly.

"Don't be mad," he told her. He uncovered her eyes, and she blinked a few times allowing her eyes to adjust to the light. At the table, there was a small breakfast of fresh fruit, coffee -Carleen's new found love, and French Toast. There were Champagne flutes filled to the rim with Champagne. Then across the room, under the tree that she, Fred, and George had decorated were a few boxes. There was one small box and one larger box. She could see her gift for Fred beside her gifts. "Are you mad?" he asked.

"Yes," Carleen breathed. "Very."

Fred laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Eat or open?" he asked.

"Eat, because you got pineapple. It's not in season," she told him.

"I have a friend," Fred replied smartly. "We can eat and open," he told her. Carleen nodded and turned to walk back into his bedroom. "Where are you going, Carly?"

"To brush my teeth," she shouted back to him. "Make me a plate!"

When she came back, she was minty fresh, and her hair was parted into fresh pigtails. Fred was lounging on the sofa with a plate of fruit on the floor in front of him, and another of French Toast. Carleen ran and jumped on his lap and kissed him. "Minty fresh," he responded. "Open this one," he told her, pushing the larger box to her.

Carleen rolled from his lap and onto the floor beside her plate of pineapple. "I don't want to," she said as she pulled at the ribbon. "Hermione?" she asked, questioning who wrapped the gift.

"Nah, Ginny," Fred answered. "Open it," he urged again as he watched her carefully pull the tape away from the box. "You have a wand you know?"

"Opening Christmas presents is a sacred event that shall not be tarnished with magic," she snapped.

Fred held up his hand s in mock surrender. "Sorry, continue."

Carleen did just that. She continued to unwrap her gift at a slow pace. She was carefully not to rip the paper or cause any blemishes on it. When she was done, it looked like it had when Ginny had taken the paper off the roll. She then turned her eyes to the gift before her. Before her sat a large gold colored cauldron. Inside were a pair of lime green robes. Carleen unfolded the robes and saw that there was a wand crossed with a bone on the left side. Underneath, the robes lay a piece of parchment addressed to her.

_Miss. Carleen Chase,_

_I am pleased to inform you that you have finished you internship at 's, at a rather expedient pace. We are pleased to offer you a position on a staff dealing with creature-induced injuries, potions and plant poisoning, and spell damage. Your first official day will by January 30th._

_Wishing you a Happy Christmas,_

_Hippocrates Smethwyck _

"Oh my Merlin!" she exclaimed. "I finished, and I have a job."

"I know," Fred told her. "I gave Ginny the present to wrap."

"I got a job! And you got my robes!" she kissed him, and his lips tasted of pineapple. "You're a gem. Open yours," she said as she pushed the gift towards him.

Fred wasted no time opening his gift, the paper was ripped to shreds within seconds. "Carly, you're amazing," he told her as he flipped through the pages of _The Top 1,000,000 Pranks_. She'd seen it in a Muggle bookstore and thought about him immediately. "The Muggles are smart people." Fred pushed the smaller box towards her with his foot. "Here, love," he said not taking his eyes off the book.

Carleen rolled her eyes and started to open the gift. At first she did it in her normal, slow manner; however, she was influenced by Fred, and tore the paper off the small box. She could see the corners of Fred's lips turn up as he looked at her. It was a jewelry box. Carleen flipped the lid off the box and saw a necklace. Unlike the last one, this one was heart shaped and had small blue gems, sapphires, she presumed, along the edges. In the center, instead of Carly, it read: My Love. "I love it," she said. "Put it on," she said as she turned her back to him. Fred lazily took the necklace and clapped it around her neck. "How does it look?"

Fred pulled her necklaces so that they read, _Carly, my love._ "Perfect," he said to her, before kissing her gently.

**V.**

Christmas dinner at the Weasley's was an event. Mrs. Weasley said that the whole dinner was in honor of her getting her job and finishing her internship at a record pace. This complement only made Carleen's face go deep red, and she ducked her head to cover the blush. Although, Fred and George didn't let it go unnoticed. Their mother had scolded them for their actions, and both boys apologized. Presents were given at dinner. The twins both reviewed jumpers, one of gold and one of maroon. Ronald got a hat, and Ginny got a scarf and a pair of mittens. After all the gift giving was done, Mrs. Weasley called Carleen into the kitchen.

"Finally going to let me help with dishes?" the brunette asked her boyfriend's mother.

Mrs. Weasley scoffed at the thought and waved her wand. "I wanted to talk to you about Fred." Carleen's face instantly grew red, and she nodded hoping that it wouldn't be an awkward conversation. "Five years," Mrs. Weasley said. "Is that right? How long you and Freddie have been dating?" Carleen nodded. "Five years, that Freddie's been in love with you. Probably longer than that, he's never been particularly open with his emotions to me. But I could tell. Ever since he gave you that necklace when you where thirteen. He said that he and George would share books if I bought it for you." Carleen's blush deepen. "No need to be embarrassed, my dear. I knew you loved him before you knew. Just like I know Ginny loves Harry, but that's another topic for another day." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "I just wanted you to know that you are a lovely girl, and it would be an honor to call you a Weasley."

"You're giving me your blessing?" Carleen blurted out before she could think.

"Yes," she said. "And a jumper," a maroon jumper appeared before her. "I thought you might like to match Fred."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Carleen said as she hugged the woman.

"You're welcome, deary. This stays between us, yes?" Carleen nodded in agreeance with the woman. "Well off you go." Carleen walked out of the door and right into Fred. She rolled her eyes and tossed her jumper at him. "Easy dropping isn't nice."

"She had to give you your jumper in private? What's going on?" he questioned. "You're face is all red."

"Nothing," she said annoyed that she face was still red.

"Remus and Tonks are leaving," he told her. "And I'll find out what you talked about; I always find out."

Carleen rolled her eyes again and looked out of the window behind him. The was an orange streak rushing across the sky. At first she thought it to be one of Fred and George's pranks, but it turned towards the house, and exploded in the yard. Fred grabbed her immediately and pulled her towards him as the flames encircled the Weasley house. The flames didn't come closer to the house just grew more wild. Fred drew his wand and pulled Carleen with him to the door of the Burrow just in time to see Harry run through the flames, as Tonks tried to control them. Fred's non-dominate hand stay firmly planted on her waist, and her non-dominate hand clutched at the front of Fred's shirt.

"Who was that?" Fred asked his father.

"Come help me," Arthur called back to him as he ran out to help Tonks, Remus, and George. As he said this, a small red-haired Ginny, ran out of the door and after Harry. "Ginny," her father shouted after her.

Fred gave Carleen's waist a short squeeze before setting away from her and going to help tame the fire. Carleen stood for a moment, feeling utterly useless, before drawing her wand and rushing to his side. Upon feeling her presence, Fred almost directed her to go back to the house; however, she knew what she was doing. She was of age, and she had a job as a healer. She knew what she was doing; she could handle herself. Once the fire was dissolved, he pulled her pigtail and glared at her.

"You're an idiot," he said to her gently, although it was not nearly as harsh as he had said it at the World Cup.

"You needed my help, and you know it," Carleen smirked. "Should we go after them?" she asked, looking into the field across from his home. There were spells being cast, she could tell because they were disrupting the current of the air.

However, as she spoke, two dark clouds swirled into the air, and ran right through the Burrow. The odd looking home caught fire instantly. Fred pulled Carleen against his chest, shielding her face from any debris. Harry, Ginny, Arthur, Tonks, and Remus all rushed back to the house. Carleen closed her eyes against Fred's chest, hoping that it was just a dream. However, she felt the heat of the flames against she back, and she knew that she wasn't dreaming.

* * *

><p><strong>VI.<strong>

"Are you alright?" she asked as walked into the bedroom that they shared. His blue eyes had been dull since Christmas night. He'd been going to the Burrow to help with clean-up. Now that Ginny and Ron were gone, it was just Mrs. Weasley and Bill most of the time, so he and George took turns going to help out. Fred shoot her a look, and she lowered her brown eyes away from his blue ones. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I just..."

"I know what you meant," he said. His tone was much softer than the look that he'd given her earlier. "I'm fine. Mum and Dad are shaken. They know that it was just because Harry was there, but you know how it was. It was just out of nowhere. Mum been staying with a friend at night and working on the house in the day. She's very quiet. She lost everything." Fred lay down on the bed, and Carleen rolled over into his chest. His arms wrapped around her out of instinct, and he sighed. "We offered to get her a place, George and I. She slapped us and didn't talk to us for the rest of the day."

"Well that was to be expected," she responded. Fred yanked her pigtail. "Sorry," the girl responded quickly.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked running his fingers through her hair. She nodded against his chest, as Gryffin hopped on to his shoulder. "Why do you wear these?" Carleen's face grew warm. "Are you blushing?" he asked. "You're face is all warm."

"I am," she responded. She was silent for a minute. "Because you pull them."

"What?"

"I wear them because you pull them."

"I heard that, but I don't understand," Fred admitted.

"You would come up to me every day and pull them, and I liked it. Well I like you, not so much the pain that you inflict, but I liked you so I let you do it. I liked that you pained attention. Not to sound insecure and all, but I thought if you paid my pigtails attention, then you'd eventually start to like me."

Fred scoffed. "I did it because I liked you. Everyone knows pulling a girl's pigtails is how you get to her heart."

* * *

><p><strong>VII.<strong>

"My Merlin," Carleen said as she sat on the sofa with a piece of pineapple in her hand. "Dumbledore is dead." The tone of her voice suggested that she'd just come to some life changing realization.

"Carly," he said rolling his red-rimmed blue eyes. "I know this, and you know this as well. Stop saying it."

"No, I mean, he's dead. That means that the war. It's official. It's on," she said.

Fred stopped and looked at her. "And you want to fight?"

"Well," she started softly. She puffed her chest out and nodded, "Yeah."

Fred scoffed, "No."

"No?"

"Yes, no," he said.

"You're kidding right?" she asked in complete outrage.

"I'm not," Fred said to her. His red-rimmed eyes didn't meet her brown ones. "I'm not kidding."

"Fred," Carleen started.

"Carleen Chase," he shouted, and slammed his hands down on the counter top. Carleen froze. "We are not having this discussion."

Carleen sat on the sofa, pineapple in hand, staring at Fred. He'd yelled at her. She narrowed her brown eyes, stood, and walked over to him. His blue eyes followed her every move. She'd drawn her wand and was clutching it in her hand. His eyebrow arched, and he pulled his wand off the counter beside him. Her dark eyes were focused on only him. Everything around the edges of her vision was fuzzy. She pointed her wand at his chest, directly at his heart. He did the same to her. His expression troubled.

"Carleen, lower you wand," he told her in a bored voice. She didn't. "Lower it." Still no movement. "What do you hope to prove from this?"

"Why can't I fight?" she growled at him.

"Because I said you can't," he told her.

"Why?"

"The same reason I yelled at you at the Cup. You're too important to me," Fred said. He lowered his wand and turned away from her. Carleen placed her wand on the counter beside his. "I can't have you running around fighting a killer. Do you know what that would do to my sanity? I can't have you doing that. Not now. This isn't a joke, Carleen. People are disappearing and dying every day."

"I know that," she responded. "But I can fight for myself."

"I know that you can."

"So why?"

Fred sighed and held his hand out to her. She took it, and he pulled her into his arms. "If you died," Fred exhaled slowly. "If you died, Carly, I would die. Life wouldn't be life without you." Carleen leaned back against his chest. He pulled her hair softly, letting her know he was sorry for his rough tone. "I can't have you fighting a war where I can't see you. I can't protect you if I can't see you, Carleen."

"Then fight with me."


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I'm going to spilt this chapter into two parts, because I don't want to give you guys another four thousand word post. So this is Year Nine Part One, and then the next one should complete the series. Maybe. So just look out of that.

**DISCLAIMER: **I still don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p><strong>Year Nine: Part One<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"Carleen, stop it."

She'd been sitting on their bed watching him for the better part of the evening. She watched his every move with her dark brown eyes. Tonight was the night that Harry Potter was to be moved. Tonight was the night Fred, and other people, although they weren't really her problem, were to turn into Harry and soar through the sky. The plan a fix for a worst case scenario, if they were ambushed. If they were ambushed, the Death Eaters would be very confused seeing as there were seven Harry's, and Fred was one of them.

"Carleen," Fred said again as he pulled on a shirt."Stop that. I'll be fine, okay?" He leaned down and kissed her. "Are you holding my wand?" he questioned. Carleen looked down and realized that she was indeed holding his wand. She'd taken it from his pocket when he walked in. "Can I have it back?" he asked her as he held his hand out to her. She shook her head. "Carleen Chase, my wand," he demanded. Not wanting to argue with him, she handed his wand over silently, and then looked down at her empty hands. "Carleen, love," he started as he sat next to her. "Calm down, you are going to give yourself a heart attack." She shook her head and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Fred sighed. There was no real way to deal with this. He had to help Harry. He felt obligated to Harry ever since he had given him the thousand Galleons to get the joke shop off the ground. However, he wanted to stay with her. He really wanted to hear her voice before he left, just in case the worst happened. She hadn't said a word since she woke up. She'd just been looking at him for hours.

"Freddie, you ready?" George asked as he stuck his head into the room. "Carleen, lighten up. I haven't heard you say anything all day."

"That's because she hasn't," Fred told his brother. "Give me five minutes, and I'll meet you at home."

George nodded. "Carleen, I'll watch out for him. No harm, shall come to your Freddie." And with that , he disapparated out of the flat.

Fred pulled her up and kissed her forehead, "Talk to me, Carly," he demanded as his arms slipped around her waist. "Please."

"Don't die," she finally said after a long moment. Her voice was hoarse from not using it all day.

Fred sighed and looked down at her. "Is that what you're worried about? Carleen, I promise you that I will try my best to not die tonight. Does that make you feel better?" Carleen shook her head. "I can't promise you that I won't die. I can only promise that I will try not to."

Carleen stood in his embrace for what seemed like a long while, however, the clock behind Fred said that it had only been a few minutes. Fred pulled away from her and gripped her hands firmly. Carleen's brown eyes look up to met his piercing blue ones. He kissed her forehead, soothing the wrinkles from her brow furrowing.

"I love you," she said slowly.

Fred kissed her. "I'll see you at the Burrow. I love you too," he said softly.

Carleen stood in the room for a long time after he disapparated out of the room. Carleen pulled her wand from her pocket and started to apparate; however, she knew that she wasn't mentally stable enough for the activity. So, she walked to the fireplace in the living room and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and tossed it into the empty fireplace. Emerald flames shot up, and Carleen stepped into them. She absentmindedly stepped into the flames and shouted, "The Burrow."

"Hey, Carls," Ginny said from her spot on the sofa.

"Hey," the brunette girl said as she sat down beside her. They were silent for a moment. "Have they left yet?"

"Yes, they left right at seven," Ginny said softly. "They should be here soon."

An hour later, she and Ginny were still sitting on the sofa staring into the sofa. There was nothing to say. They left one another to their thoughts and memories. It was comforting just knowing that there was someone there that was going through the same thing. Carleen and Ginny had never been best friends; they were close and Ginny confided in her because she was older, and there were just something that you can't tell your, whatever she and Harry were, best friend. However, on this night, they grew closer because of their silent comforting.

Carleen was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Ginny get up to greet Harry and Hagrid. She didn't hear their conversation. However, she didn't hear Lupin's shouting. Her ears pricked up, and she stood of the sofa and walked to the door. She was greeted with the sight of her boyfriend's brother covered in blood. Her stomach turned. She'd seen things that were much, much worse than this. People with severed arms and missing fingers or people with arrows through their arms, she saw that all the time, but seeing George covered in blood, made her stomach turn.

"Carleen," Mrs. Weasley shouted at her, pulling her from her nausea. "Can you help him?"

George had been laid out on the sofa. She could see properly where the blood was coming from. His ear was gone, and judging by the clean cut, it had been cursed off. Carleen walked towards him and knelt beside him. "I can," she said as she pointed her wand at the place where his ear was, "clean the wound." She then muttered a spell that stopped the bleeding and clotted the wound. "Stop the bleeding." She bit her tongue in thought and then sighed. "And cover it so it doesn't get infected. However, there's no way to reattach an ear once it's been cursed off. The skin around it's dead, and the nerves won't connect. It would be more pain that it's worth, for George. I'm sorry." Beside her, George groaned. "George? Are you awake?"

"Unfortunately," he responded.

"Are you feeling any pain? I numbed it, so you shouldn't be."

"No, Carly, no pain. You do good work."

There was a crack from apparition and Carleen ran from George's side, something a healer should never do. However, she had to see if it was Fred, and it was. The girl ran towards him with her wand drawn and watched him for a moment. "Why do you pull my pigtails?" she asked him quietly as his father walked into the Burrow. She hadn't warned him of George's missing ear. A healer should always inform the family of a patient's condition.

"Because pulling a girl's pigtails in the best way to get to her heart," a faint smile gracing his lips.

Before Fred was finished, she had her face buried in his shirt, and she was crying. She felt stupid, and like a little kid but she was crying. Fred was running his fingers through her hair and trying to sooth her. But it wasn't working. It was then that it hit her. Her stomach turned because Fred and George were identical. She just assumed that if George came back covered in blood, then so would Fred. But he didn't. That's why she was crying.

"Shush, Carly," Fred soothed as he gave her hair a gentle tug. "Is everything okay?"

"George," she mumbled into his shirt, "his ear, and I tried and I'm sorry."

Fred pulled out of her grasp and ran into the house. Carleen stayed outside for the longest time before Fred came back out. He kissed her. "Thank you. Carleen, thank you."

"For what? I didn't clean the wound; I left him. I'm a terrible healer."

"Carleen Chase how can you say that?" Fred questioned. "None of us knows the spell to clot blood. No one would have been able to stop the bleeding as efficiently as you. Carly, you're an amazing healer. You saved his life. Carleen, thank you." She looked away, truly embarrassed. Fred pulled her pigtail. "Don't do that. Don't question yourself. George is holy now," Carleen let slip a soft laugh, "and he's okay with that. He's glad that you were here."

"Well, I guess I should go and finish healing him," Carleen said.

"Hey, wait, I have something to ask you," Fred said as he felt in his pocket for something. Carleen turned around, not expecting to see Fred on one knee holding a silver band with a small white diamond on it between his index finger and thumb. "This isn't exactly the way that I planned it, but Carleen Elyse Chase, will you marry me?"

Her brain was fuzzy, and she closed her eyes. Her legs felt like jelly, and she exhaled shakily. Part of her feared that he was only doing this because she 'saved' George's life, but that was a very small part of her. The larger part knew that it was coming. He'd been monitoring her jewelry for the past few months, asking questions in a subtle way. She knew it was coming soon. She opened her mouth to speak, but found that she'd been rendered speechless. So she nodded.

"Yes?" Fred asked on an exhaled.

"Yes," Carleen responded softly, finally gaining the ability to speak.

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

"You look absolutely stunning tonight," a voice said from behind her. "I hope that you didn't come alone."

"I didn't," Carleen responded, not looking at him. "My fiancé is the groom's younger brother. He's the twin with two ears."

"Has he told you that you look beautiful in magenta?" he asked as he turned her around to face him. "Because you do look beautiful in magenta."

Her dress was a magenta colored knee-length, one shoulder, dress with a natural waist line. On her lift side, the side opposite the singular strap, was a small pattern of black and clear rhinestones. The gems made a small circle on her hip. She wore silver heels and jewelry. Her hair was curled, something that Fred had never seen. Her hair wasn't in pigtails, and he hadn't expected them to be, because she was at a wedding. However, her choice of hairstyle looked about as close to pigtails as she could make it.

"Ever, or tonight?" she asked as she sipped on Flur's imported wine.

"Tonight," Fred answered as he pulled her towards him.

"No, he hasn't. In fact, I haven't seen him at all tonight."

"Well, you look beautiful in magenta," he said before kissing her.

"Thank you, love." Her cheeks turned a light pink and had to change the subject. "The wedding's lovely, isn't it?"

Fred paused for a moment and then nodded. "Don't be difficult like Fleur," he demanded. She arched her eyebrow. Fred fingered her band. "When we get married."

"I'm a simple girl, with simple tastes, " Carleen promised.

"Hey, come dance with me?" Fred asked as he continued to play with her ring. "I never got my dance at the Yule Ball, and I've been regretting it since."

"You can dance?" she questioned, utterly surprised.

Fred looked offended and put her glass on the table beside him and pulled her on to the floor. He pulled her close as a waltz started. His feet moved in perfect time with the music. He lifted her and spun her in all the right places. Carleen was totally shocked. She couldn't believe that he was this good of a dancer. It was curious. One would never believe that someone that got in so much trouble and pulled so many pranks would be good at dancing. The thought never crossed her mind. In fact, she was sure that she was going to have to force him to dance when she wanted him too, but no.

About half way through, Fred arched his eyebrow at her. "And the verdict is?"

"You are a lovely dancer," she told him. "We must dance more often."

"I'll be sure to remember that." As the song came to a close, he spun her again and kissed her. Carleen rolled her eyes and placed her head under his chin. "I like you in heels," he commented after a moment. 'You're only a few inches shorter than me now." Carleen scoffed and rolled her eyes again. "Instead of the usual foot you're shorter than me."

Carleen was about to respond when an unusually ominous feeling washed across her. She turned her dark eyes to the sky and saw an almost translucent blue ball of light flying directly towards the tent, Carleen recognized it as a patronus. It burst through the top of the tent only moments after she'd spotted it and Fred pulled her body against his. From the ball came Kingsley Shaklebolt's voice. "The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead." His voice then turned into a whisper. "They are coming, they are coming."

Fred grabbed his wand, and then handed Carleen's hers he'd been holding it because she didn't have a place to put it. As soon as Carleen's wand was in her hand, the Death Eaters were there. They were ready to kill all of the reception goers, but the Weasley's were not going to allow that. They fought of spells and killing curses left and right. Out of the corner of her eyes, Carleen saw someone fall to the ground after being hit with one of the green killing curses. She flinched but didn't drop her guard. Fred was standing in front of her and off to her left. His accuracy with the spells was astounding. He wasn't aiming to kill, but he was doing more harm than some of the Death Eaters.

After the wedding's reception was devoid of everyone, save the Weasley's, the Death Eaters disapparated. Carleen looked about the tent to see if there was anyone that she could help. However, she knew the answer before she looked. Death Eaters rarely pointed their wand without the intent of killing. Everyone lying on the ground was dead.

"Are you alright?" Fred asked her. His voice sounded so far away. She nodded having temporarily lost the ability to speak. Fred ran his finger along a cut on her cheek. "You're bleeding."

"It's fine," she mumbled.

Fred pointed his wand at the cut and muttered a spell. The scratch seemed to disappear from her face. Carleen looked up at him. "I read your little medical books too. I get bored." He kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you're okay."

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"Magenta," Carleen said slowly as she lounged on the sofa. Fred was sitting behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. She was nestled comfortably between his legs, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. "Yay or nay?"

Fred groaned and sighed. "Carly, I don't care. This wedding is your thing. I'm just going to show up and say I do."

Carleen scoffed and shook her head. "So pink's good with you?" she asked slowly.

"Everything except pink," Fred corrected.

"People that have no say in anything, don't get to pick anything but pink."

For a moment, Fred was tempted to push her off the sofa, but he decided against it. She won't be too happy about getting ink on the carpet. They'd been talking about the wedding for a few days. Carleen being the logical one said that they should be married sooner, seeing as there was a war going on, and they might be around for much longer. Fred told her not to think that way, but he knew that it was true. They could die any day. Fred wanted to be married to her if he died, and she him.

"Okay," Fred said, he pushed her up, so she was sitting and slid from behind her. "I say nay to pink, and yay to magenta." He leaned against the kitchen counter and sighed. "Carly, don't you think that this is a little overboard. We got flowers and tablecloths and lighting. You have to get a dress and bridesmaid dresses. They have to be fitted and all that stuff."

"What's your point?"

Fred walked over to her and pulled her hair to get her full attention. "Carleen Chase, I love you, and I don't need a huge ceremony to show everyone that. We can go to the ministry and have a small wedding there. Mum and the rest of the family, your close friends, can be there. But we don't need a Fleur wedding. What do you say?"

"Let's do it two days after Ginny gets back." She was silent for a moment. "Should I wear white?"

Fred laughed, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

"Are you nervous?" Ginny asked as she cast a spell to curl her future sister's hair.

"No," Carleen lied.

"You don't have to be," Ginny said seeing right through her lie. "Fred thinks you're the best thing since Zonko's." Carleen laughed. "We'll he does."

"Thank you, Ginny."

Carleen stood and brushed the hair off her white dress. It was nothing extravagant just a simple knee-length 'v' neck dress. Around the waist line was a white ribbon with subtle silver beading. The dress was loose and flowing; it moved with her every move. Her curled hair stopped just beneath her mid-back. In her hair was a headband that matched the beading on her dress.

"You look lovely," Ginny approved. "Although, you hair is a lot on the long side."

"Fred won't let me get it cut," Carleen admitted. "I get like an inch or two trimmed off every two weeks, but it grows faster than I can cut it. I'll talk to him about it tonight."

"I'm sure you will," Ginny said with a wink.

Carleen rolled her eyes, but before she could answer, there was a knock on the door. Carleen smirked at Ginny, and that said it all. "Come in."

George Weasley poked his head into the room and smiled at the girls. "Ready, little sisters?" he asked.

Carleen's face grew red, and she sighed. "Are you my escort out, George the One-Eared Wonder."

"That I am."

Ginny left the room, and George took Carleen's hand. "You look nice," George said as he gave her a little spin. "I approve of it, little sister."

"Thank you, big brother."

The two talked idly as they walked to the court room in which they were to become brother and sister. Carleen took a deep breath as they stopped at the door. "No need to be nervous. He likes you, remember?"

With that Fred opened the door and revealed the room. It was full of the Weasley's, save Ron, who was hunting Horcruxs with Harry and Hermione. Her parents weren't there. They never actually liked Fred and his family. Fleur smiled at her, and she returned the gesture. She and George walked over to Fred, who was waiting patiently with his back turned to them.

"Text time I talk to you, you'll be a Weasley," George told her as they stopped a few week behind Fred. She hugged her future brother and pushed him gently. He then pushed her towards Fred.

"Hello, beautiful," Fred said as he gave her the once over and smiled.

"Hey, yourself," she responded taking the hand that he offered her.

"We are gathered here today.."

It was her wedding and all that she wasn't listening to the ceremony. She and Fred were playing games and having side conversation with their eyes and facial expressions. And she wouldn't have had it any other way. It would be like marrying a dull person, if she actually paid attention to the ceremony.

"Mister Weasley?" the minister said.

"Huh?"

"For the second time, Do you wish to be joined to this woman in marriage?"

"I do."

"Miss. Chase, do you wish to be joined to this man in marriage?"

"I do."

Then they went back into their little game. This time they were having a staring contest. She was losing miserably. She always lost staring contest with Fred. Then they were playing a game of thumb war on the hand facing the minister.

"Mister Weasley?"

"Huh?"

"Let's try this again; take Miss. Chase's hand and repeat after me." Fred did as told. "I, Frederick Gideon Weasley, take you, Carleen Elyse Chase, to be my lawful wife."

"I, Frederick Gideon Weasley, take you, Carleen Elyse Chase, to be my lawful wife."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."

""To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part." Fred repeated.

"Now, Miss. Chase, take Mr. Weasley's right hand and repeat after me." Carleen did as directed. "I, Carleen Elyse Chase, take you, Frederick Gideon Weasley, to be my lawful husband."

"I, Carleen Elyse Chase, take you, Frederick Gideon Weasley, to be my lawful husband."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part." Carleen repeated.

The remainder of the ceremony flew by. They exchanged their rings and went back to playing a quick game of thumb war, before Fred became obsessed with running his thumb over her wedding band.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride." Fred leaned down and kissed her. It would have been just a normal kiss, had it not been the kiss that connected them for life. Her heart pounded underneath her chest. She was married now. She was a Weasley. She had five brothers and two sisters. She was now the third girl this generation to have the Weasley name.

"It is my pleasure to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Weasley."

As they turned to face their family, Fred gave her hair a faint tug and whispered in her ear. "You should have worn pigtails, Mrs. Weasley."

Carleen's face was beet red as they walked down the aisle and out of the door at the end of the room. As soon as they were out of the room, Carleen pulled two ponytail holders off her wrist, she'd used a charm to make them invisible to the audience, and pulled her curled hair into pigtails. "Is that better, Mr. Weasley?"

"Much," he said as he tugged on of them before kissing his new bride.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE: <strong>So, I know that I said they got married in a court room. And they did. They just had a small wedding in a court room. Same as Flur and Bill's just in a court room. Just in case any of you lovely readers were confused. I had something else to add to this chapter, but it's almost 4,00 words, so it might be in the next one. That one is going to be long as well, just so you all know. Review for me, please.


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **This one is the battle of Hogwarts centered. I'm going by the book version for how Fred died. Just so you know. Thanks for sticking with me while I wrote this. I hope that you all really loved it, and I hope it's as good as I thought.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"Harry's be sited in Hogsmeade," George shouted into Fred and Carleen's room.

Carleen's eyes flicked to Fred's and they both hopped out of bed and slipped their shoes on. The act was silent. They knew it was coming. Every night they listened to the radio and hoped that they heard good news, and every night there was only bad news. The newlyweds had not honeymooned. They planned on doing that after the war was over. They spent their wedding night with George, listening to the listing of missing witches and wizards.

"Hey, you ready?" Fred asked as he pulled her pigtail and broke her thoughts. She nodded. She took his hand, and he kissed her firmly. "You still want to fight?" he asked her.

"Yes," she nodded, "I do."

Fred kissed her again. "Well, to Hogs Head we go, yes?"

"Yes," she agreed. "I love you," she said as her pulled out his wand.

"And I you," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

"Harry, what do you want us to do?" Fred questioned.

He hadn't let go of Carleen's hand. Her face was panic-stricken from hearing Voldemort's voice in her head. She hadn't liked that one bit. She couldn't block out the sound, no matter how hard she tried to do so. It was just too difficult. Fred had been whispering things into her ear, in hopes that it would calm his panicked wife, of course, it didn't, but he kept at it anyway. Now that the Dark Lord was done speaking to them, and the Slytherins placed in the Dungeons, Fred was ready to go to work.

"You wouldn't happen to know where the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw is?" Harry questioned.

"It's lost, Harry," Carleen said. "No one knows where it is. Well, no one alive."

"Yeah, that's what Cho said."

"Try the Grey Lady, Helena," Carleen suggested.

"Thank you," Harry said. "Oh, and congratulations you two," he shouted as he ran out of the Hall.

"Miss. Chase," Minerva McGonagall's voice said to her. "Well, as I hear, Mrs. Weasley." Carleen's face turned red. "You and Mr. Weasley help protect the school. I'm sure you know what spells I am referring about."

"Yes, Professor," the two Weasley's said together.

Not releasing her hand, Carleen and Fred pushed through the crowd of students and on into the courtyard. Fred dropped her hand and pointed his wand at the sky, muttering spells to help protect the school. Carleen did the same. Her hand was shaking as she cast her spells, and Fred noticed this. With his non-dominate hand, he pulled her pigtail, and then slid his hand down to the small of her back soothingly and cast a glance at her. She could see that he was worried, but it didn't seem directed at himself. He was worried about her.

Once the shield had joined, Carleen lowered her wand and exhaled slowly. She looked at Fred, worry still etched across his face. "Don't worry about me. I'll be OK."

"Carleen, do you still want to fight? It's okay to say no. I can get you out of here," Fred said.

"I want to fight. I'm not weak like you think I am."

"No, no, love," he took her hand. "I know you aren't weak, but you are not a killer."

"Neither are you."

As they walked back into the building, they saw that Percy had just arrived. He was shouting, asking if he had missed it, when he ran right into his family. Obviously, they were the last people that he had expected to see. He slowly stopped shouting and looked around at all of the red-haired people. His glasses were crocked, and he was puffing.

"So - 'ow ezz lettle Teddy?" Fleur asked, trying to make the awkward moment go away.

"I - oh yes - he's fine!" Lupin said loudly. 'At home with his mother at her mother's." The Weasley's and Percy were still staring at one another. "I have a picture."

"I was a fool!" Percy roared, startling Carleen and almost causing Lupin to drop the picture. "I was an idiot. I was a pompous prat. I was a- a- -"

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," Fred finished for him.

"I was," Percy cried.

"Well, you can't say fairer than that," Fred said, embracing his brother.

Their mother burst into tears and wrapped Percy in a bone crushing hug. Fred stepped back to Carleen and kissed her. She turned her brown eyes up to him and her eyebrow arched. He had an apologetic look in his blue eyes

"What?" she asked.

"You're not a killer, but you're a fighter. I apologize for not being able to tell the difference," Fred said into her ear, so that she could hear him properly.

"So you got married to him." Percy said, interrupting their moment. "Well maybe you can tame him."

Carleen and Fred shared a look before she laughed. "I don't think that's possible." Percy nodded in agreement and then turned from them. "I love you," she said.

"I love you, more." Fred ran his finger along her wedding band. "Don't die," he demanded.

"I wouldn't dream of it, but I can't promise that I won't, but I'll try my best not to." She paused. "Don't die."

"I'll try," he said, before he kissed her again.

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"Carleen," George said as she entered the Great Hall. His face was dirty and covered in scratches. His eyes were red and puffy, and there were tears rolling down his face. Immediately, Carleen's heart stopped. "Carleen," he said again, his voice breaking. She'd been walking with Katie Bell when George approached her. Katie had disappeared when George appeared. "Carleen, I'm sorry."

"What?" she asked her voice breaking. "George, what?"

George looked as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't. Instead, he stepped aside. The Great Hall was in utter chaos. People were wounded and dead. Others were crying. However, she wasn't concerned with any of that. Her eyes fell on her family of red heads in the middle of the room. They were all crying, just liked George had been. All of them except:

"Fred," she breathed. She wanted to run to him, but she couldn't. Her eyes needed to see his body up close. Maybe he wasn't dead. Maybe he was just unconscious, and his heart rate was slow. He couldn't be dead, because he told her not to die, and she didn't die. She'd told him not to die, and he did. How dare he disobey a direct order from her? He wasn't dead. He was just unconscious. However, her brain knew. It knew that Fred was gone from them. Gone from her. Her heart was breaking with every breath see took. Her legs were weakening by the second. George seemed to notice this and held his arms out to her just in time. She fell into her brother's arms a moment later. Her hands clutched the material of his shirt as she sobbed into his chest. Unable to hold both of their bodies up, George fell to the ground with Carleen. He stroked her hair, trying to soothe her, but he knew it was useless. He knew that she was in pain. Hell, he was in pain too.

After a moment, she untangled herself from George and looked over his shoulder. Tears still ran down her cheeks as she stood and walked to her fallen husband's body. A smile was etched on his face. He died laughing. She sank to the ground beside his body and grasped his hand. He was gone. His body was cold. She leaned over his chest and listened. There was no heartbeat. A new wave of tears fell from her eyes, as she came to the official realization that her husband was dead. However, these were not tears of sadness. These were tears of anger; the tears were hot against her skin.

"Who was it?" she growled quietly.

"I can't tell you that," Percy said.

"You know?" she asked, her voice still low.

"Yes."

Carleen stood and drew her wand so quickly that it made Percy's head spin. "Tell me," she growled, her wand pressed to his throat. Percy was silent. "NOW!"

"Rockwood."

Carleen lowered her wand and started out of the Great Hall. "Carleen, where are you going?" George shouted after her.

"To avenge Fred."

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

She found him fighting a seventh year on the second floor. Her warm brown eyes were dark. Murderous would be the best description for the look that she wore. George had attempted to calm her, but when he saw the glare in her eyes, he knew that she was too far consumed in anger and sadness. He knew, hoped, that she didn't have it in her to kill Rockwood. Fred talked about her, like she was some fragile flower when the war first started. However, as it progressed, Fred later changed his description of her to that of a Venus flytrap. Vicious when hungry or threatened, calm all the other times. She was hungry tonight; hungry for blood.

"Rockwood," she shouted as she cast a spell at him. The spell exploded behind his head.

"Yes?" he answered slyly, turning his attention to her.

"You killed him," she shouted, casting another spell at him. This one hit him and caused him to stagger back a few steps. She cast another spell, followed by another, and another. She cast all the spells that she knew that could inflict harm on a person. She cast a spell that made birds appear, and then another to make the birds attack her husband's killer. A ball of fire flew from his wand tip, and she cast the flame-freezing charm, so that when it hit her, the only thing she felt was a tickling sensation. "Furnunculus," she shouted. Rockwood was startled when his body became covered in boils.

"Carleen, stop it," George shouted at her from the bottom of the stairs.

"Crucio," she shouted. Rockwood squirmed in pain under her curse. George ran up the stairs and to her. He grabbed her hand and lowered her wand. He then grabbed her and held her close. "Stop it, stop it. Let me kill him." She struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Fred said you weren't a killer," George shouted in her ear. She stood all movement and lowered her wand. "Don't do this." George released her from his hold, and she looked very ashamed of herself.

Rockwood took his chance and shot a cruse at the staircase, causing it to fall. George tried to pull her out of the way, but he was too late. Something heavy had struck her head, and she was slipping into darkness. Distantly, she could hear George calling out to her, but she couldn't go back to him.

* * *

><p><strong>V.<strong>

"What are you doing here?" Fred shouted at her. He was beyond upset. Carleen's dark eyes fluttered open, to see her dead husband looking down at her with angry blue eyes. "You are NOT supposed to die," Fred snarled at her. "It's not your time. So you're going back." Carleen just stared at him. He might have been yelling at her, and he might have been angry, but he was there. She flung his arms around his neck and buried her face in his shirt. Fred's tone softened. "Carleen, you have to go back." He demanded.

"I want to say with you," she whispered.

"And I wanted to say with you, but we don't always get what we want."

"But I love you."

"And I love you," Fred said. "But you have to go back. And don't try and kill Rockwood anymore," Fred said. She shook her head. "That's an order."

"He killed you," she snarled.

"And he'll kill you too," Fred snarled back at her.

She was silent for a moment and then sat back on her heels. Her fingers were laced with Fred's as they sat in silence. His thumb caressed her wedding band as it usually did. "I miss you." Fred sighed and kissed her. His lips were cold. He then pulled one of her pigtails for good measure.

"I miss you, too. But you still have to go back." Fred looked at her wedding band. "You can marry again," he told her. "I'm okay with that." She shook her head. "Or not. I'd like it if you did marry again though. However, it is you choice."

Carleen felt Fred fading in her grasp. She was being pulled back to the real world. Her brown eyes met Fred's smiled blue ones. His lips pressed to hers one last time before he said: "I'll be waiting."

* * *

><p><strong>VI.<strong>

"Carleen," George said as she came back to the world of the living. George pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "You're alright."

She nodded against his shoulder and exhaled slowly. George then stood and pulled her up with him. Carleen wobbled a little, but she was able to walk beside George slowly. They descended the stairs slowly and cautiously. George held her wand tight in his hand, afraid that if he gave it back to her she would go after Rockwood again. However, the look for blood was gone from her eyes. Now there was nothing but sorrow and pain. He could see that the weight of Fred dying was slowly starting to bear down on her. She was slowly starting to realize that Fred wasn't coming back.

George wanted to help her, but he couldn't even help himself. He too was an emotional wreck. He didn't know what to do without Fred. Hell, he almost lost it when he saw Carleen's body lying there motionless. She was his closest link to Fred right now. She was Fred's wife. She was the best that he could do.

"I'm sorry," Carleen said as he sat her down in the Great Hall. They were a fair distance from the other morning Weasley's.

"I understand," George said quietly, as he sat in front of her to block the view of Fred's body.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome."

Carleen looked up into his eyes and saw Fred. She looked at his hair and saw Fred's. Everything about him said Fred. However, he was George. He was her brother. He was the only person in the world that understood how she felt. The Weasley's lost a child, but George lost a twin, and she lost a husband. Nothing would compare to that.

* * *

><p><strong>VII.<strong>

The morning after the battle, Carleen found herself out on the remains of the stone bridge that Voldemort had paraded across a few hours ago. She sat with her legs dangling over the edge, looking down at the vast drop below. She remembered back to her fifth year, when she and Fred would sneak out at night and toss pebbles over the edge of the of the, now destroyed railing, and talk about life and the war. He'd always wanted to fight. Carleen had been neutral on the matter until one night he made her decide. It was before he admitted that he loved her, and she returned the emotion. They were just kids. However, she'd told him that she would fight with him, if he asked her too.

Now, five years later, she was trying to figure out why anyone would want to fight in a war. War wasn't what they had imagined it. Carleen had seen more death in a matter of hours than she had in her entire year as a healer. After her run in with Rockwood, Carleen went to help the other healers, but by the time that most people reached them the only thing the healers could do, was remove the limb, or clean and bandage a wound. There were few people that walked away the way that they'd come. People were turned into slaves of the moon. Carleen had tried to calm a rather horrified Lavender Brown after she found out that she'd been bitten by a werewolf. Her career as a healer had done nothing to prepare her for this.

So she'd decided to get Madam Pomfrey to give her a once over. Healers often miss things when they look themselves over. The older woman had said that she was in good condition. Then she'd congratulated her. When Carleen questioned as to why she was being congratulated, the woman just smiled and said, "You're expecting."

The two words kept ringing in her head as she sat on the edge of the bridge. She couldn't be. Her husband was gone. She had no right to be expecting. She had no one to cherish a child with.

"Are you going to jump?" a voice asked from behind her.

"Well not now, you're here," Carleen answered. She paused for a moment. "Can I tell you something George?"

"Anything," her dead husband's twin said as she sat beside her gingerly. Carleen lay her head on his shoulder and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant," she said softly.

"Oh," George said, seeming to fully understand her dilemma. "I'm sure that he's ecstatic, how are you?"

"I can't raise a kid by myself, George. I can't even keep my husband from dying."

"Percy said that after he fought the Death Eaters he was going to find you, so that he could protect you. Angelina said that you were going to find him," George said. "At least when he died, he was smiling, and thinking about you."

Carleen sighed. "I can't do it alone."

"Well you've got me," George announced. "Mum would love another kid running around the Burrow. She misses it. There are people here that will take care of you and your kid. You're still family, Carly." The wind blew through her hair, almost as if Fred was agreeing with George. "You're not alone."

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE: <strong>The end. Alright, so I was persuaded into a sequel via one review and one pm. So boy or girl? I was kind of thinking about playing on the twin thing and doing twins, so if you like that idea then let me know.


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